Of Darkness and Light
by lokinorsedeity
Summary: It all started with two rival clans...the Hikawa, who bore white wings, and the Niri the black winged ones. One event tied the fate of both clans, as well as that of the kingdom, to one another. Now they must unveil a secret that would change everything!
1. The beginning

**The beginning**

"_You…you've killed your own mother! You monster!" roared the man in the house, kneeling over the woman's body. The boy stared in horror…his mother was dead, beyond his voice. The man let everyone in the village know that the boy had murdered his mother…the villager's let their outrage and hatred be known as they ripped his fragile wings to shreds, leaving only stumps behind. _

_The boy simply cried and cried, wishing that his brother were there to save him from this cruel fate. The older boy stood in shock as the villagers harmed his younger brother…he couldn't believe that they actually thought the boy had killed their mother. He was far too young to even harm a puppy, let alone a full-grown adult. Their ignorance blinded them from the obvious; if they found him then they would never rest until he shared the younger's fate._

_He fled to the temple, praying that his brother would live._

_-----_

_A month later, the other clan fled, determined not to let their fate be shared. The red head and violet-haired brothers ran, confused as to why they left their home behind. They never stopped until they reached the Temple of Solara, the oracle. The redhead was distraught as he realized he had left his mother's ring behind. It was an heirloom passed down…now his elder brother was attempting to soothe the younger's nerves._

"_It'll be alright Dai…I'm sure we'll get it back eventually…" said the elder._

"_But Hikari-nii…I don't remember where I lost it!" cried Dai._

"_If it makes you feel better, I'll let you borrow mine…until we find yours. Don't forget, this isn't the first time that thing has been lost. We've always recovered it eventually, so it'll pop up again soon," said Hikari._

"_Okay…nii-san…" sniffled Dai, starting to calm down._

-----

"_You are a Hikawa, are you not?" said the cloaked oracle._

"_Yes, Lady Lunara. I am Yami Hikawa, the eldest child of the Hikawa clan," said the elder brother._

"_What of your brother, Yami? What has caused you to flee your very home?"_

"_Our mother was slain, and I know not of my brother's fate. Sato was…harmed by the villager's hate and ignorance."_

"_Your brother is alive…but his wings are another matter. It seems that he will never be able to soar as you. You are free to remain here, but it will come at a dire price," said Lunara, with a dark tone._

"_Whatever the cost, I shall obey," said Yami._

"_You are forbidden to leave the temple without my consent or order. You must never seek out your brother; he must come to the temple of his own will. You are now my servant and must obey my command. Is this clear, Yami?"_

"_I hear and obey, Master," said the boy in a toneless voice._

"_Follow me…I will show you your new quarters. Welcome to my fold, Yami…" said Lunara coolly._

-----

Hiwatari was up to the usual; Sato had returned with a pitiful report from school. Even though he was the smartest child in the village, his performance grades were the worst in the village history. This was highly confusing for his teachers…he was from one of the most powerful magic clans in the kingdom; why was his performance in spell casting so horrible?!

"You disappoint me, son," said Hiwatari, angry.

"I'm…I'm sorry father!" stammered Sato, scared. (He knew when his father was angry that he would use magic on Sato.)

"You do know the consequences of a poor performance…"

"Father, please no! I don't want to use the barrier! Please don't…!" said Sato in horror. Hiwatari paid no heed to his son's cries of terror…he summoned a flaming ball of pain and shot it at Sato. The boy had his right hand up as if to defend himself…it was already blackened from previous attacks, and there was a circular wound in his palm. In the center of the circular wound was a blackened ring; it was almost identical to the one his mother had always worn around her neck.

After about an hour of nonstop fiery assault, Sato was on the floor, whimpering from pain. He tried his best to conceal his tears; if Hiwatari caught him crying from pain again he would renew his assault. He crawled bleeding to his room where he barricaded the door…though Hiwatari rarely came in there thanks to the wards on the door and windows. It was the true reason why his hand was so blackened and the ring embedded into his right hand. It had cost him dearly to set up the wards, but in his opinion, it was well worth the price to prevent his father from coming into his room.

"SATO! Get out here this instant!" roared Hiwatari from the other side of the door. Sato knew he had two choices; either he left his room and faced his father or stayed in the only safe place inside the house and face him later, most likely with worse consequences. His hand burned like there was no tomorrow and he could barely move from the pain. A surge of white-hot fire ripped across his back, emanating from what was left of his wings. He couldn't get up even if he wanted to; he lay there wincing from the agony. A shadow passed by the window, and he reminisced about how his life used to be when he was still a child without any problems.

* * *

He closed his eyes and drifted into a troubled sleep…

"_Ready to try flying again, my Chibi Kage?" asked his brother. Sato had gained his wings a week earlier on his fourth birthday. He smiled as he said, "You bet, Yami-nii!" _

"_Come on then! After dinner we'll work on getting your wings to disappear so you can sleep on your back!" laughed Yami._

"_Yay!" said Sato, happily._

"_Come on boys, time for supper!" said their mother from the door. Sato and Yami raced each other to the house; Yami allowed his brother to beat him._

_As they sat down and ate their dinner, Yami and Sato got into a mini-food-fight, much to their mother's dismay._

"_Now, now boys! If you have a food fight you'll be the ones to clean it up!" laughed their mother._

"_We can handle that, right Chibi Kage?" grinned Yami._

"_I can handle it if you can, nii-san!" replied Sato, happily. He helped Yami clean up the mess, though thanks to that they weren't able to get Sato's wings to vanish. He slept on his side, as the wings made it impossible to sleep on his back._

Sato woke with a start. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he knew it was long enough as his father was finally asleep. He secretly took out a small journal, which was the only thing that kept him sane for the past five years since his mother's death. He took his pencil and started to write what had happened that day…with his left hand. His right hand had long since been rendered useless when it came to everyday tasks such as writing and picking things up. As he sat there in the moonlight, he felt eyes watching him from outside. He looked up to see…nothing.

_Must have imagined someone was out there…_

* * *

He turned back to his journal and wrote:

**Today the usual happened. Everyone avoided me like the plague; they still believe I killed mother. It's been five years since that day, and it still haunts me. Father wasn't happy when he found out that my performance in school was abysmal as usual. Why does he always overreact to my magical abilities? I can't help it if using magic is harder for me than it is for the others. I wish he'd quit using fire magic on me when he sees my report from the teachers. My hand and back hurt enough after making those wards to keep him out!**

**If only…if only Yami were still around, then maybe things wouldn't hurt so much. There are times when I wished he wasn't dead or missing. He knew father before mother was killed; maybe he could stop him from hurting me for no apparent reason.**

**I dreamt about mother again…I'm starting to forget her face, as well as nii-san's. I…I miss them so much! And to make things even worse, I feel as though someone is watching me from the shadows! I hope they're not after me like everyone else…** (Sato realizes too late that a few tears have fallen on the pages. Once again, the words are blurred slightly from the water.)

* * *

He closed his journal after he was sure that the page had dried properly and hid it inside his shirt. If his father ever found out about the book he would never rest until it was destroyed and Sato was punished. Sato couldn't understand why his father didn't like him making a diary; the first time he caught the boy writing one he flipped and nearly killed him! He sighed as he lay down again, knowing that if he fell asleep again his father would wake up before him and hurt him.

Sato had grown accustomed to waking up very early to ensure his father wouldn't have a chance to hurt him before school. Sleeping on what was left of his mangled wings was the only sure-fire way to keep from falling into any real sleep; he let his mind wander to his innocent past, hoping to lose himself in his memories.

His daze was broken as he realized that there was someone outside the window. He sat up, terrified. He had some peace of mind knowing it wasn't his father, who was still sleeping. He cautiously got up to look out the window and once again saw nothing. He could still sense the presence outside, and knew he wouldn't be able to rest until whoever or whatever was gone. (Secretly he hoped that the presence wouldn't leave, so he wouldn't have to worry about falling asleep.) Then the presence left, and he sighed. He lay down again, and knew that tomorrow would be even worse than today.

-----

"Yami, did I not say the day you joined the fold not to seek your brother out?!" growled Lunara, irritable.

"Yes, Master. But I did not seek Sato out; I merely came across my home and sensed a powerful Niri barrier across the windows and room."

"Impossible…the Niri clan has been dwelling in my sister's temple since your mother's death."

"I know what it felt like, and it was definitely Niri magic. I know not why Sato's room was enveloped in a Niri barrier. I had to investigate," said Yami.

"I will forget this little incursion this time, Yami…but should you ever do this again, I shall no longer protect you from the outside world."

"Understood, Master. It seems my brother believes the man he lives with is father," Yami commented.

"How can that be? I thought he was killed in a backlash of malevolent magic that he shot at you!"

"As did I…I think this man Sato calls father is an imposter," replied Yami.

"We must wait and see. Your brother will join us, though not for a few years now."

"What do you foresee, Master?" asked Yami, interested. (For some reason, he always finds his Master's prediction's interesting…)

"_Five years and three months from today, your brother will seek the temple out."_

(Actually, she speaks backwards whenever she gives out predictions. It took Yami a full year to become her official translator. So her prediction actually came out like this!)

"Tuo elpmet eht kees lliw rehtorb ruoy, yadot morf shtnom eerht dna sraey eviF."

"I do not believe Sato even knows where the temple is, Master. If he cannot find our temple, how will he join us?" asked Yami, concerned.

"When the day comes, I will allow you to lead him from the shadows. You must not approach him, or even allow him to know that I sent you to guide him. You will be permitted to use my dragons to show him the way," said Lunara.

"Thank you, Master Lunara…" bowed Yami, grateful.


	2. Journey to the temple

**Journey to the Temple**

Five years after Yami found his younger brother, he patiently waited for the day to arrive. When the prophesized moment finally came, he was ready. Lunara gave him a small, yet very colorful, dragon who could speak the human tongue. Yami was eager to leave…even if he couldn't make any direct contact with his younger brother. He could not send in the dragon until he was sure that Sato was attempting to venture to the temple.

_Sato_ _was running as fast as he could away from the village. His breath came short as he stumbled over fallen branches. He tripped over a branch and was having difficultly getting up. He kept trying to no avail. He thought he was done for…until he noticed a bright creature flapping its wings in front of him._

* * *

"What the…? What the hell is _that_?" said Sato aloud.

"_Name's Drags. My master and her servant sent me to lead you to the temple," _said the creature.

"What…what are you?!"

"I'm a familiar…or to be more precise, a Draconic Familiar."

"Why did they send you to me?"

"Master Lunara prophesized that you would seek the temple out five years and three months ago. So she sent her servant and myself to guide you safely," explained Drags.

"Where's her servant then?" said Sato, as if to challenge the mini-dragon's story.

"He's under strict no-contact orders from Lunara-dono."

"Riiight…"

"We don't have much time. Those villagers looked pretty pissed when I flew by them. What did you do to make them so ticked?" joked Drags.

"I exist…they hate me simply because I live," said Sato dryly and coldly.

"Okay… Can you get up?"

"I would have if I could of. I don't know why I can't get up…" said Sato, annoyed.

"My guess would be the various vines that are wrapping around your ankles," said Drags.

"WHAT!!! Where did those vines come from?!" said Sato in shock. Drag's eyes lit up a bit as he trailed the origin of the vines.

"Seems to be coming from some sort of dark ring and a brown-haired man with glasses."

"Shit…father is trying to get me killed!" said Sato angrily. He attempted to get up yet again, and this time he felt the vines tighten their grip around him.

_-----_

_**Drags, can you bite through those vines and help him up?**_

_But Yami-san, Master Lunara only said I had to guide him, not free him!_

_**She said that I couldn't make direct contact with him, but she did say that helping him make it to the temple by ANY means necessary was acceptable. NOW GET CHOMPING BEFORE I DECIDE TO SIT ON YOU WHEN WE GET BACK!!!!**_

_Ack! Fine…but if they have an after-taste the kid's on his own!_

-----

"Looks like I've been ordered to help free you…" grumbled Drags.

"By who?"

"The one who was sent to monitor our progress."

"You mean your Master's servant."

"Yup…now don't squirm. I don't want the taste of human's blood in my mouth when I get rid of those vines," said Drags, annoyed.

"Okay…"

Drags elongated his fangs to bite through the vines more easily. It took less than a moment to get rid of the magic foliage. Sato could practically hear the roar of fury from Hiwatari. He got up and began running.

"I hate to break it to ya, but the temple is ten oaks down the river and to the left of the four Willows."

"What?"

"Go along the river until you see ten oaks and turn left when you come across four willow trees. They're kinda hard to miss."

"I don't know what oak and willow trees look like!"

"Fine…just follow the bouncing dragon lights…" chuckled Drags. Sato chased after the little dragon and then came across ten trees bunched together. He turned left and found himself staring at four other trees with branches hanging down.

"Usually when someone says the word willow, they think of a 'Weeping Willow' tree. We're almost at the half-way point. Are you getting tired?" asked Drags.

"This is nothing…father puts me through worse hell than this…" gasped Sato, catching his breath.

* * *

"We don't have much time to rest. Those villagers will catch up any minute now," said Drags.

"Is there anywhere I could hide?!" asked Satoshi.

"Well, there is a cave nearby that only a child could fit through…why?"

"I'm…starting…to have…blurry vision…I'm so…tired…" said Sato, sleepily.

"All right…keep running for about a kilometer and then turn left. You should be able to see a hole in a hollow tree…that leads to a cave that few even know about."

"Thanks…" said Sato weakly. (Drags smelled a faint hint of the boy's blood.)

Sato found the cave and nearly collapsed in the hole. He passed out after he felt Drags disguise the entrance. Drags followed the scent and discovered that Sato was bleeding where the vines had wrapped around tightly from before. He couldn't heal the boy, nor could he tie bandages. He had two choices…either let the boy bleed, possibly even get it infected in the process, or he could call for Yami and ask him to help Sato. It was then that he noticed a large lump right between Sato's shoulder blades. He looked at it for a moment before jumping back in shock.

Sato's back had a stump where his wings should have been. The feathers themselves were grayish-pink, from where they had unsuccessfully tried to heal and were filthy from the dirt. His mind made up, he contacted Yami with a hint of urgency.

_-----_

_Yami-san, we have a major problem!_

_**What?**_

_The boy is bleeding and his back has stumps from where his wings should be. And the feathers are in horrific shape; they're grayish-pink and it looks like they're causing him great pain!_

_**Shit…I'll contact Master and see what I can do before you reach the temple. Is he awake?**_

_No…he'll be out for a while. He's lost quite a bit of blood. He shouldn't wake up for a few hours at least._

_**I'll contact you when I hear from Master.**_

_-----_

_**Master Lunara…we have a problem.**_

**What kind of problem, Yami? Does it have anything to do with the boy?  
_Yes…he's bleeding badly and his wings are in terrible shape. If he doesn't get medical attention soon, he might not live._**

**You know I gave you strict no-contact orders.**

_**Drags reports that he won't wake up for a few hours minimum…and we both know he can't tie bandages.**_

**Are you requesting to go to him and heal him? You know full well that that would qualify as a breach in our no-contact agreement!**

_**May I at least be permitted to put bandages on his wounds? I'll wait on the wings until we can fully access the damage.**_

**Very well…but any further contact other than that and the deal's off!**

_**Understood, Master…**_

_-----_

_**Drags, I will arrive shortly to bandage the wounds. Master says I am not allowed to do anything about his wings until after we can assess the damage properly.**_

_Understood…we are in the cave hidden under the hollow tree._

_**I will be there shortly. Stay hidden until then.**_

_-----_

Yami approached the tree and said, "Drags, I'm here."

"Yami-san, he doesn't look too good. He seems to be getting worse…" said the dragon.

"Can you bring him out? I know there's no way in hell I'll be able to fit in there…"

"I'll try," said Drags as he attempted to bring Sato out long enough to help him. Yami gently picked the boy up and examined his injuries.

Sato's main problem seemed to be his right hand and his back. It was bleeding heavily from the damaged wings…or what was left of them. His ankles were bleeding as well, though it seemed to be slowing down. Sato's breath came in pained gasps, as if he were having trouble just breathing. Yami took his Rutile out and placed it on his left hand. He chanted under his breath, and Sato's breathing became easier; Yami then took some warm water and carefully washed the wounds. After he finished, he wrapped Sato's ankles with strips of cloth to prevent it from bleeding further; he carefully wrapped the wings loosely which slowly stopped. As soon as he finished with the wings, he briefly considered doing the hand, which was almost completely blackened; he thought against it, knowing his Master would want to see the wound herself before working on the damage. Yami set Sato down carefully inside the tree where Drags took over.

He left without another word, hoping that the bandages would hold until he reached the temple. He sat down a few trees down, well out of the boy's visual range.

_

* * *

_

**Did you remember my no-contact order?**

_**Yes…I only bandaged his ankles and back. I left the worst damage alone until we could properly ascertain the full extent of the damage.**_

**I thought I said not to do anything to his wings!**

_**His back was bleeding from what little was left of his wings. I loosely bandaged them.**_

**Well done Yami.**

_**Master…how long must I continue with the no-contact order?**_

**Until he reaches a village that recognizes Drags and know that I sent for him. Then you may approach him and lead him the rest of the journey.**

_**Thank you, Master.**_

-----

Sato opened his eyes weakly, feeling better than he had in years.

"Ow…where am I?"

"You're still in the cave, only your wounds have been attended to for the moment," replied Drags, relieved.

"What… Who…?"

"Lady Lunara permitted her servant to at least heal your wounds until we reach the temple."

-----

_**Drags, Master said that you will only have to lead Sato until you reach a village that recognizes you and knows that she sent for him. Then I am to take him directly to the temple.**_

_That's good to hear…_

-----

"Well Sato, it seems we have a shorter distance to walk than I originally thought," said Drags.

"How come?"

"Our watcher said that Lady Lunara and her no-contact order will last until we reach a village that recognizes me and knows she sent for you. Then he will take over."

"How far will that be?"

"At least 100 kilometers, maybe less. But knowing the Master, the only way you'll be able to find the watcher is to seek him out first," warned Drags.

"What does he look like?"

"You'll know him when you see him. He tends to stay at taverns in a corner where no one will disturb him without a damn good reason."

"Then how will I know where to look?"

"Simple…don't act like you have something to hide, and once people recognize me they'll tell you which tavern he's in."

"So I just have to follow their directions? Won't they want to know why she sent for me?"

"She's an oracle, and it's rarely their business to ask questions about her methods."

"Ahh…"

* * *

When Sato entered the village, it took less than five minutes for the villagers to recognize the draconic familiar. They instinctively pointed him in the direction of a popular tavern; the bartender told him to go to the far corner, away from the warm fire. That was when Sato first met the 'watcher' as Drags had called him.

"_You are the boy she sent for, correct?" _asked the servant in a sort of hiss.

Sato silently gulped as he said, "Hai…my name is Sato Hiwatari…"

"_The one she sent for is not a Hiwatari. What is your true name boy? Think wisely before you answer this time,"_ said the figure in a warning tone.

"My original name was… (gulp)… Sato Hikawa…"

"_Then you are indeed the one she sent for. We leave at dawn…" _said the figure in a less menacing tone. Sato wondered briefly what he had gotten himself into now! Yami allowed him to order whatever he wanted, suspecting that the boy hadn't had a decent meal in quite some time. Sato remember his manners just in time; they went into their room and left right after breakfast.

As they walked towards the temple, Sato felt his legs begin to give way. Yami paused and said, "You've been walking for quite a while now, haven't you…"

"Hai, Yami-san…" said Sato quietly.

"We are only 200 kilometers from the temple. Think you can handle that distance?"

"I doubt it…I think I can handle at least 50, but I don't think I can do 200…" answered Sato carefully. (He didn't want the older boy to think him weak.)

"Walk as far as your body will let you. When you can't go any further, then we'll take a break."

"Arigato, Yami-san."

"Drop the 'san' part. I hate the ridiculous honorifics…" grumbled Yami irritably.

They took a break half an hour later; when they were about to continue on, Sato yelped as he attempted to stand. Yami approached him and looked at his ankle. Sure enough, the boy had unwittingly twisted it while walking. He sighed as he said, "If you continue to walk on that foot, your leg will break from the strain. You can climb onto my back until we reach the Master…"

"Thank you, Yami!" said Sato relieved.


	3. Oracle sisters

**Oracle sisters**

Yami carried Sato all the way into the temple until they reached the Master. He carefully sat the boy down; Sato was nervous as the Master turned to him and spoke.

"You are a Hikawa, correct?" she stated.

"Hai…"

"Welcome to my temple, Sato Hikawa. We have been awaiting you for some time."

"How did you know I was coming…?"

"I am an oracle. I can foresee both future and past…with a catch."

Sato had a look of confusion; Yami took pity on him and explained.

"Master Lunara can predict both what will and what have already happened…though she usually speaks backwards. It took me some time to get used to understanding her predictions myself," chuckled Yami.

"Oh…" said Sato.

"So what shall we do with you…" said Lunara.

"Master, shouldn't we help heal his wounds first?" suggested Yami.

"Perhaps we should wait until we reach the temple of my elder sister. She has better healers than I do."

"But Master!"

"It is almost time for our annual trip to the Solara Temple Yami. Besides, I doubt his foolish 'father' would be able to make it there in time to find him," Lunara pointed out.

"Yes, Master…" said Yami obediently.

"Yami, lead the boy to his quarters…he will be in your charge until we reach my sister's temple."

"Understood, Master…" answered Yami automatically.

* * *

Sato followed Yami like a lost puppy, much to the older boy's amusement. As they reached his room, Sato winced slightly from the pain. Yami helped him to the bed and said, "Sit still while I do something about that ankle of yours." Sato obediently stayed still while Yami wrapped the ankle and eased the pain.

"So long as you don't try to walk around on it too much, it should be fine until we reach Lady Solara's temple."

"Okay… Yami, why do you call Lunara-sama 'Master'?" asked Sato, curious.

"Because she allowed me to live here, I am bound to her will. I am forbidden to leave the temple without her consent, and I am to never seek out my family unless she permits it."

"Why would you agree to that?!" asked Sato, shocked.

"Because the day I came here, our family was under attack. It was the only way I could be safe, and as a result, I am bound to the Master."

"What happens if you disobey her will?"

"I will be unable to remain as her servant and will have to leave the safety of her wing. You have no idea what hell I would have gone through if I had not joined her fold…" said Yami, in a tone that left no openings for a further argument.

"Yami, we leave in two night's time. Make sure he is ready to leave," said Lunara from the doorway.

"As you command, Master…" replied Yami immediately. When he got up to leave the room, he felt something grip his arm tightly. He looked down to see Sato holding the older boy's arm with a frightened look.

"Are you afraid, Sato?" he asked. Sato merely nodded; Yami was a bit surprised by this. Why would his own brother be afraid of him?

"What are you afraid of?"

"Father…if he finds me…then he will most certainly kill me for running away…" said Sato, worriedly.

"Do not fear him…he cannot harm you while you remain in the temple. If he tries he will face Master's wrath. Believe me that is NOT something you'd want to incur."

"Are you sure…?" asked Sato, uncertain.

"I have seen it before, so I know this to be fact. Many have tried to seek retribution against me before, but so long as I remained in the temple under the Master's command, they were unable to touch me."

"Okay…" said Sato still worried.

"I will speak to Master for a moment and I'll be right back. You should get some rest while you can," said Yami, his voice soothing. He left the room and briefly talked to his master before returning. Sato had fallen fast asleep; Yami covered the boy and gently took his right hand into his own.

Lunara entered the room silently; Yami turned to her with a concerned look.

"Master, the boy's hand is blackened by magical backlash. And judging by the look of it, I'd say that it's been like this for some time."

"I agree. I suspect that the ring embedded in his palm is to blame," said Lunara.

"Shall I remove it?"

"No…we should wait until we have better lighting. But you may see what you can do about his wings," answered Lunara.

"Thank you Master."

After she left the 2 alone again, Yami gently brushed Sato's rebellious blue locks from his face; Sato instinctively leaned into his touch. Yami was mildly amused as Sato curled up against him, seeking warmth. He wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him against him, falling asleep in process…

* * *

Yami woke up the next morning, and it took him a moment to realize that he had Sato curled up against him. He thought about it for a moment, and then decided to wait until the boy began to stir before getting up.

_Sato had woken up early, as was his wont. It took him a minute to realize he was in the older boy's embrace. He was shocked at first, then calmed down; somehow the older boy made him feel safe, something that he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt Yami stir, and thought that the other would leave. He was secretly relieved when he realized that the other wouldn't leave until he began to wake up._

Yami suspected Sato was already awake when the boy began to snuggle closer to him. He held back a chuckle as he pulled the other closer. Sato didn't seem eager to leave his embrace, and he wasn't in a hurry to deal with the day himself. He sensed his Master's presence and heard her chuckle lightly. She approached and said, "I hope you two weren't planning to sleep the day away."

Reluctantly they got up; Lunara was amused by the fact that Sato followed Yami like a puppy. They spent the entire day preparing to journey to Solara's temple the next night. When it was time to sleep, Yami was shocked that Sato curled up next to him and fell asleep yet again! That was when he began to suspect that this was the first time the boy had felt any attention that didn't result in pain. This almost always meant one thing…

_The boy was a teenager mentally, but emotionally he was still a child._

Yami pulled Sato close against him whispering, "Good night, my Chibi Kage…" Sato curled closer than before at the sound of Yami's voice. They fell sound asleep, soothed by the other's presence. When they left the next day, Sato sat on the dragon in front of Lunara. Yami flew next to them, as a guard. They arrived the next morning, at the very border of the kingdom. There stood the temple of Solara, the eldest of the oracle sisters.

* * *

Dai was outside, practicing his flying, when he saw the dragon coming in.

"Nii-san! Lady Lunara is back!" he yelled.

"Really?! I thought they were due here tomorrow!" answered Hikari, mildly surprised.

"What the…? Who's that kid riding with Lunara-san?" said a certain tanuki named Risa.

"Beats me… hey, doesn't he look a lot like Yami-san?" asked her kitsune twin, Riku.

(Yes, I added the Harada twins! Riku and Risa are both half-fox spirit, half-raccoon dog; Riku has more fox blood in her than Risa, and Risa has more tanuki 'raccoon dog spirit for those of you who don't know' than Riku!)

"Welcome back, little sister. I see you brought a new face with you," joked Solara.

"Indeed. He is the younger Hikawa that everyone thought was dead until now. Would it be possible to let your healers have a look at him? He has some serious injuries on his right hand and on his back," replied Lunara.

"I'll have the 'Temple Twins' take him there," said Solara. (The nickname most people used to refer to the Riku and Risa is the 'Temple Twins'.)

"Solara-sama, who is the new boy?" asked Risa, curious.

"This is the other Hikawa boy. His name is…" said Solara, letting the blue-haired boy to finish.

"Sato…Sato Hikawa. Nice to meet you," said Sato, grinning.

"I trust you won't be a pain like the other every time he comes," snorted Riku dryly. (Yami tends to pick fights with Hikari every time he went to the temple. No one could ever figure out why.)

"I tend to avoid trouble if possible," Sato assured her.

"Riku, could you and your sister take him to the healers? It seems he has some problems with his hand and back," interrupted Lunara.

"Sure, Lady Lunara…" started Riku.

"It would be our pleasure," finished Risa. They laughed at the look Sato had on his face when one started and the other finished!

Sato slightly limped behind, though the twins never noticed this fact. As he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for the healers to check his injuries, he noticed that there was something odd about the twins. Risa, the longer haired girl, had round ears and a raccoon-like tail. Riku, the shorter haired twin, had cat-like ears, fox-like whiskers and a bushy tail. Only one question came to mind.

"If you two are twins, then why do you look so different?" asked Sato.

"We're both half-tanuki and half-kitsune," replied Riku in a tone that made it seem obvious.

"Yup…only Riku got lucky and inherited more of mother's fox blood while I got father's raccoon dog looks…" grumbled Risa.

"Aren't tanuki and kitsune shape-shifters? Couldn't you change your appearance at will?" Sato pointed out.

"Tell that to Risa!" snorted Riku.

"You two should go outside for a moment. We're going to examine his back and hand," said the healer firmly.

"_Oh dear…this is worse than I thought…"_ said the healer in shock.

"What's wrong?" asked Sato, worriedly.

"It seems that your wings are in worse condition than they said. We'll try to get them to dissipate, but we can't make any guarantees that we'll succeed," said the healer direly.

"They've been like that since mother died…" murmured Sato sadly.

"It looks like whoever been taking care of you hasn't been doing a good job."

"He doesn't care about me…"

"If we can't get your wings to vanish, we might have to bring in Yami to get them off. It's the only way your back will properly heal…"

"Okay…"

"Now let's take a look at your hand…oh my! This is very bad! How can you live with your hand in this condition?!"

"I learned to use my left," said Sato bluntly.

"We need to talk to Lady Solara and Lunara immediately. You should get some rest while we confer with them about this…"

"Hai…" said Sato, tiredly.

* * *

"Riku, get the sisters here NOW. We're going to need their assistance to help this boy!" said the healer concerned.

"What's wrong?" asked Risa.

"His back and hand are in dire condition and he needs more specialized help than normal healers such as ourselves can give."

"It's that bad?"

"Possibly worse…if you want to see how bad, take a good look at what is left f his wings," said the healer.

Riku did just that, and immediately went to get Solara and Lunara. They arrived and when they saw the damage, they were in shock.

"What the…?! How did it get this bad?!" said Solara.

"We suspect his 'father' is to blame…" said Lunara quietly.

"We need his wings to dissipate before we can do anything about his back. His hand, however, is another matter. It seems there is something embedded deeply into it," said the healer concerned.

"It's some sort of ring," said Lunara.

"We'll attempt to remove this ring before we do anything further…"

-----

"_Aw man! Nii-san, I lost the Rutile again!" yelled Dai._

"_Dai, how many time do I gotta tell ya, never take that ring off?!" grumbled Hikari._

"_What's that spell that gets the Rutile to come to you?"_

**"**_**Rutile of darkness, heed your master's command and return to me!"** __said Hikari bored. The Rutile flew to his hand, and Dai tried to do the same._

"_Don't forget, otouto, it only works if the ring is close by," Hikari reminded him._

"_I know…still, it's worth a shot!"_

"_Rutile of darkness, heed your master's command and return to me!" repeated Dai._

-----

"What on earth?!" said the healer in shock as Sato's hand glowed.

The ring began to glow a fierce black aura before working itself out of his hand and flew out of the room. As it flew, years of use worked away and by the time it reached Dai, it was cleaner than it had been in a long time.

"Woah! Nii-san, look!" said Dai surprised.

"What the hell? Where'd that come from?!" said Hikari shocked.

"Can you stop the bleeding?" asked Lunara in worry.

"I'll do my best, Lady Lunara!" said the healer, still shaken.


	4. The truth is more painful than lies

**The truth is more painful than lies**

Sato woke up the next morning, exhausted. He turned to see Yami sitting beside the bed, worried.

"You gave us quite a scare last night," he said calmly.

"What do you mean?"

"Your hand with the ring embedded in it started bleeding after Dai used a simple spell to retrieve the Rutile ring of the Niri clan."

"What?!"

"The ring in your hand…it was meant for Dai. Why did you have it?" asked Yami, suspicious.

"Father told me it was the one mother was going to give me once I mastered my wings…though it never worked very well for me at all…" said Sato, sadly.

"What? That is impossible…" said Yami surprised.

"He seemed to enjoy reminding me that I was the one who killed mother…" said Sato, tears welling up.

"How old were you when she died?"

"I had just gotten my wings a month before…why?" asked Sato, confused as to what difference it made.

"Which means you were about 4…"

"Hai…"

"Sato, Hikawa and Niri clans gain their wings on their fourth birthday, and only learn to wield the more powerful magic when they reach around 8 or 9 years. You didn't kill your mother."

"What? But father always said I was the one who…"

"At that age, you wouldn't have had enough magical power to harm a pup, let alone a full-sized adult. There's always been an age limit to when we can really use normal magic."

"So if I didn't kill mother, then why…?"

"I don't know what reasoning that man had for telling you that it was you who killed mother, but he was lying. Anyway, your real father has been dead for years."

"How do you know that?" asked Sato.

"A week after your mother died, your father heard that one of his sons had killed her, and assumed it was your older brother's doing. He tried to seek revenge against him, only to die as his magic backfired and killed him in the process."

"So if he isn't my father, then who is he?" asked Sato, beginning to get angry.

"Beats me. But if he tries to take you back, you can be assured Master and I will have

some choice words with him," said Yami coldly.

"I can't believe he lied to me…" said Sato in disbelief. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small book.

"What's that?" asked Yami, curious.

"It's my diary. I've had to hide it from father ever since I started keeping it. The first time he caught me making one, he flipped and I nearly died."

"So he didn't want you to keep a diary of how bad he treated you…interesting…" said Yami, with a strange look.

"You can read it if you want…" said Sato, handing Yami the book.

"You should get some rest…knowing Dai, when he finds out you're awake, he'll have tons of questions to ask you," smiled Yami.

"Too late!" laughed Hikari from the doorway. There stood Dai and his brother, both relieved that Sato was finally awake.

Yami and Hikari left the two boys alone as they talked outside.

* * *

"So why did he have Dai's ring with him?" asked Hikari finally.

"It seems his so called 'father' gave it to him under the impression it was his mother's. ring."

"You're kidding!" said Hikari.

"Nope… According to Sato, his 'father' didn't want him to keep a diary; he nearly killed him when he first caught Sato keeping one," said Yami, angrily.

"So what's that in your hand?"

"Sato said I could read it if I wanted; it's a diary he's kept since his mother died."

"I thought you said his father nearly killed him for making one," said Hikari.

"He kept it in secret, you dolt. Look at this entry: _Father seems angrier than usual at me. I don't understand why he hates me so…it's not my fault that my magic doesn't work as it should. I wish he would stop hurting me using his magic."_

"Yikes…what kind of father would harm his son into fearing his very presence?" said Hikari, shocked.

"Someone who's not a real father. That man better hope I don't get my hands on him, or there'll be hell to pay!" growled Yami, angrily. He continued to read aloud certain passages until it reached the point where Sato met Drags and finally reached the temple. Both of the boys were furious at the treatment the poor child had been getting for over 11 years. They went to check up on Dai and Sato, only to find out that the boys were joking around. Hikari took his younger brother and went to show him some new magic. Yami stayed behind to watch the young Hikawa.

"I take it you read my diary…" said Sato, stating the obvious.

"I'm amazed you never snapped at him," said Yami.

"I believed he was my father, and that what he told me was true…if I had known he had been lying from the beginning, I never would have stayed there…" said Sato, sadly.

"Is he the reason your wings are in such bad shape?"

"Yeah…he seemed to particularly enjoy aiming his fire at my mangled wings…"

"Do they hurt you?" asked Yami.

"Not as much…"

"Well, Master and Lady Solara said that they'd try to get them to dissipate so they can heal. Want me to get them in here now?"

"Nah…I would like to sleep some more…" said Sato, sleepily. Yami moved to get up, but he realized that Sato held his arm tightly, even in sleep. He chuckled as he sat back down and stayed with the boy until he woke up.

* * *

"All right, stay still while we try to get your wings off, okay Sato?" said Solara gently. He nodded and they did everything they could to remove them. They had no luck; Sato lay there, wincing from pain.

"Yami, we'll leave you two be. If you can think of anything to get them off, then do it. I don't think he has much time left as long as they're out," said Lunara.

"Understood, Master…" said Yami. The room emptied and only Yami remained. Sato was panting, trying to regain the breath he'd lost. (No luck either.)

"Hold still…" said Yami; he took his Rutile and chanted something that eased the pain considerably.

"How…is it…that your…magic…doesn't…hurt me…like theirs?" asked Sato between gasps.

"It's probably because your body rejects theirs. How would you like to get your wings off by yourself?" asked Yami.

"Anything…to ease…this awful…agony…" said Sato weakly.

"Then repeat after me, my Chibi Kage…" said Yami as he said the spell aloud. Sato repeated his words, and the room was filled with pinkish-gray feathers. Sato's breath came easier, as if a great pain had lifted. While he slept, the healers did their best to bandage up his bleeding back, to no avail. Yami sat there, silently, hoping Sato would pull through. When they left the two alone again, he sat next to Sato, and gently held him while he remembered a lullaby their mother used to sing…

-----

"_Hitomi wo fuseru to…_

_sugu kiete shimaisou de._

_Hakidashite shimatta… _

_Koduku no kehai no kazu wo…_

_tada kazoete ita._

_Kawaita jikan no naka de,_

_Oboreteru mogaiteru kokoro..._

_memai ga suru kurai no uso wo..._

_uketomete hikisaita._

_Soshite watashi ga mayoikomu no wa..._

_Usuyami no sekai."_

**(Translated)**

"I feel like it'll disappear…

the instant I look away.

I just keep counting…

all the many traces of loneliness…

that I'd vomited up.

In this time that seems so dry,

my heart is thrashing around and drowning.

It takes those lies that make my head spin…

and tears them to pieces.

And the place I lose my way in…

is a dim, hazy world."

-----

Sato curled up closer to Yami, as if he recognized the song. Yami smiled, and gently rubbed his back with the hand that held the Rutile. The bleeding wounds that were on his back glowed a bright gold before healing completely. Sato's right hand fell onto Yami's lap, and he held it carefully as the Rutile healed the damaged caused by the backlash of Niri magic. Soon the hand was smooth, as if there had never been any burns at all. Sato curled up even closer to Yami, who whispered, "Sleep well, my Little Shadow…"

Sato woke up to find his right hand was healed, and the pain he had felt for years gone. He turned to see Lunara sitting next to him with a relieved smile.

"It seems that I was right in leaving your injuries to Yami. How do you feel?"

"Better than I have in a long time. How long was I asleep?" asked Sato.

"You've been unconscious for nearly three days straight. We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever come to," laughed Lunara.

"So what happens now?" asked Sato.

"Now you regain your strength. Tomorrow you and Yami will work on spells, seeing as how you're not at Dai's level just yet," said Lunara.

"I'd rather learn defensive and flight spells…"

"That can be arranged, Chibi Kage," said Yami from the doorway.

The name struck a cord inside Sato, who vaguely remembered his brother calling him his 'Little Shadow' after he gained his wings. He hid his pain and smiled; Yami caught the look, but he knew it was the easiest way to heal his brother. The next morning, Sato and Yami were outside practicing spells.

* * *

"No, no, no! That's not how it's done! Try again!" said Yami, slightly annoyed.

"I can't help it! Magic hasn't come easily for me since mother died!"

"I don't mean to get mad at you… It's just that you're doing it all wrong," said Yami.

"Can you show me how to do it right?"

"Well first off, you're using the wrong hand. Those of the Hikawa clan are _left_-handed. If that man was your father, he would have known that," said Yami coldly.

"So I should be casting with this hand, instead of my right?" asked Sato, surprised. (Even though he always suspected that he was left-handed to begin with.)

"Yes…now try again, this time with your left. If it helps, just pretend your right hand is still burnt from all the magical backlash."

"I don't need to pretend…it's still fresh in my mind…" mumbled Sato, as he tried again. His eyes widened as it actually succeeded.

"I…I don't believe it…"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"I've never managed to actually use magic before. My grades performance-wise were always the worst!"

"Want to know the main reason why? And no, it wasn't the ring…"

"Why?" asked Sato.

"You were using the wrong hand. Haven't you ever noticed that you do things better with your left than your right?" commented Yami.

"The teachers always yelled at me for using the wrong hand. Then it got to the point where they realized I couldn't write with my right anymore…"

"So they quit yelling."

"Only because it was impossible for me to use my other hand!"

"Ready to test your wings for the first time?"

"I…I don't know. After all these years I've become used to them being useless stumps…"

"Well now you'll have to get used to them being useful!" snorted Yami.

"Hai…" said Sato.

Even after his wings having finally healed, he still couldn't become airborne. It wasn't because his wings were still healing…it was because they were never fully developed when they were destroyed. He had been there for over a week, and his wounds from many years were gone. He stayed with Yami and Lunara for over a month, and he considered them family. When they returned, they were greeted with the sight of soldiers at the temple.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?!" said Lunara indignantly.

"This man informs us that you kidnapped his son," said the soldier bluntly.

"Kidnapped my ass! He came willingly!" growled Yami.

"If you do not return the boy, then we will have to take him by force."

"Sato, you can't go with them," said Lunara.

"No…I don't want you to get hurt because of me…" said Sato.

"Is this the boy?!" said the soldier, mildly surprised.

"Yes…come with me, son," said Hiwatari.

"Hold on a moment. How old are you boy?"

"I'm 15…why?"

"Hiwatari, you said the boy didn't know what he was doing due to his age! This lad is almost old enough to join the mage academy!" growled the captain.

"And he's NOT my father!" said Sato, angrily.

"What?"

"Ignore him…he doesn't know what he's talking about…" said Hiwatari, nervously. He glared at Sato irritably.

"Until we can sort this out, the boy will have to live with his father. Until then, you are to have no contact with him," said the captain firmly.

"Yes sir. May we at least say goodbye first?" asked Yami.

"Make it quick."

Yami and Lunara promised Sato that he would be free of the evil Hiwatari. Yami gave the blue-haired boy a small mirror, which would allow him to communicate with Yami from far distances. He walked away from the temple, his eyes full of regret at leaving the oracle and her loyal servant behind.


	5. Return to the village

**Return to the village**

As they neared the village where Sato grew up, he was overcome with a sense of dread. He couldn't explain why, but he knew that things were different; though it felt like things were EXACTLY the same. As he entered his room, he waited until his father was out of sight before taking all of his diaries and put them in one container, well out of the sight of Hiwatari.

He sat there on his bed, waiting for the day to end. He knew that tomorrow, he would have to face the other children. Only this time, things would be different; this time, he wouldn't put up with their crap, or the teacher's glares. He had had enough!

"Well, well, well…look who's decided we're worthy of his presence…" sneered the bully.

"Shut up, you illiterate loser."

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you… that almost sounded like you called me a loser."

"Not a loser…an _illiterate_ loser. There's a difference. Or are you too stupid to understand basic speech?" retorted Sato.

"You're goin' down, little brat!" roared the bully, thinking Sato would cower like before. Instead…

Sato stepped to the side as the bully charged, and the other fell to the ground hard. Sato continued toward class, ignoring the growl of fury. When the bully charged again, this time eager for blood, Sato didn't bother to dodge or get out of the way. This time, he just waited until the boy came within striking range before he calmly and coldly knocked him out with one hit to the base of the neck. The other fell to the ground, unconscious, but still breathing.

"Anyone else want to repeat this?" said Sato, annoyed. The other children were silent in shock. Sato had always been picked on because he was so timid, now he knocked out one of the biggest bullies in school! They couldn't understand how he got so strong in a month! He went inside and sat at his seat. The teacher gave him a look that plainly said, "So you're back."

He shot a glare of his own in response that clearly read, "What're you gonna do about it?!"

The teacher was annoyed at this, so she decided to give Sato a harder time than before. When class started, she called on the boy almost every time, to see if he would give a wrong answer. Instead, Sato calmly and coldly answered every question correctly, without missing a beat. By the time recess rolled around, the other children avoided him like the plague. He showed no sign of noticing, let alone giving a damn about their reaction.

"So you think you're better than us now, eh Hiwatari?" asked another one of the older children.

"Depends…"

"Depends on what?"

"Depends on how thick those skulls are if they're just now figuring _that _out!" snorted Sato, unfazed.

"What did you say?!" the others said angrily. Sato just smirked darkly, as if to taunt them further. Before they could respond to his remark, recess was over.

"Alright everyone…you know the drill. Today we'll work on defensive shields and spells," said the teacher bored. (She thought Sato would screw up like usual.)

"My favorite ones of all…" muttered Sato under his breath.

"And begin!" said the teacher, sitting down to watch the massacre. It seemed that all the children wanted a shot at Sato for the way he acted before. He shrugged as if to say, "Whatever."

As they blasted him repeatedly with flame, water, vines, whirlwinds, and lightning, he calmly kept his left hand up and waited until they finished. To their complete shock, he stood there unfazed and without a scratch!

"Please don't tell me that's the best you can do," he said bored.

"What the… How did you pull that off?!" said the teacher irritably.

"Simple. I used my spell hand to produce a barrier and blocked all their attempts. It was quite easy actually."

"You're lying. You know good and well that you can't produce a shield with your left hand! That's for offensive spells only!" said the teacher angrily.

"Don't give me that bull. I found out from a friend that my family is left-handed, meaning the right hand can't use spells _or _shields."

"Prove it. Show us what you've got, you smart-assed brat!"

"Fine…_Take flight amongst the heavens and roar, fly into the dragon's maw and unleash your frozen fury!_" said Sato as he shot a very powerful ice spell at the school. It was quickly enveloped in ice, making it impossible to enter. The rest of the class stared with their mouths wide open in shock.

"Happy?" said Sato annoyed.

"You're father will hear about this boy! I will not allow this school to be destroyed because some smart-mouthed runt decided to get uppity!" said the teacher, furious.

"Like I give a damn about what my father thinks…" snorted Sato as he left the school to thaw on its own. He never looked back as the teacher continued to rant and demand he return to undo the spell.

* * *

"Home so early? What happened this time boy?" asked Hiwatari irritable.

"I turned the school into an ice cube. You'll be hearing from the idiots in charge some time today," said Sato bored.

"You _what_?!"

"I turned the schoolhouse into a giant ice cube. So what?" said Sato, unfazed.

"You're lying. How can you turn the school into a block of ice if you can't defend yourself against my attacks?!"

"Whatever… I don't care if you believe me or not," said Sato bored.

Hiwatari left to see if Sato was bluffing (which he wasn't.) He returned angry and ready to teach his 'son' a lesson in discipline. As he prepared to throw a deadly blast, Sato instinctively threw up his left hand in defense. As it left Hiwatari's hand, Sato produced a barrier that sent the blast careening into the wall away from his room. Hiwatari continued to throw deadly spells, each landing on various parts of the walls. Sato managed to make it to his room and barricaded the door. The blasts bounced off his wards and onto the walls again. Sato sat there, shivering as he took out the mirror Yami gave him. He was near his limit and knew if ANY of the blasts hit him, he'd be screwed.

"_I…I wish big brother was here!"_ his whispered in fear. The mirror seemed to hear his plea, as Yami took off into the night to help Sato, despite his Master's orders.

* * *

The next morning, Sato came out looking somewhat slightly less worse for wear. When he looked out the window and saw the school still inside a huge block of ice, he knew he wouldn't be allowed back inside ever again. He sat on his bed, waiting for the onslaught he knew would come. Sure enough, an hour later Hiwatari began to barrage his door with variations of magical blasts and random objects he could get his hands on. Sato watched the objects carefully, and caught several of the items he thought had long since been lost. Such as a worn photo of his mother, a book of her favorite lullabies which she wrote herself, several heirlooms that had gone missing after her death, and a pillow which he knew had his brother's first feathers in it. (Yes, they molt the feathers on their wings, the same way birds do!)

"GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!!" roared Hiwatari.

"Why should I?! So you can kill me the moment I step outside the wards? Fat chance!" retorted Sato, holding back the fear in his voice the best he could. He saw a shadow pass by his window, and his eyes widened at the sound of Hiwatari yelling at an unknown assailant. Soon Hiwatari was the one defending himself from the assailant's magical attacks. He sent them on after another until…

He was about to launch his tenth blast when the soldiers burst into the house to see what the ruckus was about. By that time, Sato was nearing his limit.

"What is the meaning of this?!" growled the captain.

"I was merely disciplining my son, captain. There's no need for you to involve yourself and you men," said Hiwatari quickly.

"Discipline my ass! He's trying to kill me!"

"Is this true?" asked the captain, suspicious.

"Of course it isn't… I don't know where he'd get such a ridiculous idea!" said Hiwatari, starting to panic.

"Feh…if that's what you call discipline, then I'd hate to see how you reward the boy!" retorted the unknown man.

"And who are you?"

"I am a servant of Lunara."

"You three are to come with me, NOW," said the captain. He took Hiwatari and the unknown disciple into chains; he went to the boy and said, "You're coming too. We're going to straighten this out once and for all at the castle!"

"Okay…" said Sato, unsure whether or not to trust the captain.

"Don't worry about your things…my men are taking them with us as evidence," said the captain after he recognized the look.

He followed the soldiers and was a bit worried about his diaries. If they fell into Hiwatari's hands, they'd be destroyed!

* * *

"Alright, what's this about captain?" asked the king.

"We have a bit of a problem involving a servant of the Satsu no gatsu wa orakuru and a man who claims to be this boy's father."

"What's the problem?"

"My son ran away to the temple of the Oracle sister Lunara. This…man here and his Mistress took him away to a different temple and I had to wait a month to get my son back!"

"Wait a minute. Captain, is this the man who asked us to help him retrieve his son who supposedly was too young to understand what the consequences were?!" asked the king irritably.

"The same. This boy here is the one he wanted us to retrieve," said the captain slightly annoyed.

"This boy is almost old enough to enter the Magus Academy without his father's permission! I'd say he's old enough to make decisions about his living conditions."

"Sire, this boy is very slow. He can't even perform the simplest of magic spells, let alone the more powerful ones!" said Hiwatari quickly.

"Give me a break. The only reason he couldn't do any decent magic is because his teachers are incompetent," snorted the Temple servant.

"What is your name?" asked the king irritably.

"My name is Yami," said the cloaked figure. (Sato's eyes went up a bit as he recognized the voice finally.)

"Yami? I've heard of you before! You're the brat who keeps attacking my men when they're following orders!" said the king enraged.

"I was following orders as well. And the only reason I was even at the house to begin with was because he called for help!" said Yami in his defense. (He wasn't about to remove his cloak if he could help it.)

"All three of you are to be thrown into the dungeon!" roared the king. They were each given a separate cell close to one another. Hiwatari cell was at the end, Sato was in the middle, and Yami was closest to the door.


	6. Brothers by blood

**Brothers by blood**

As Sato lay in his cell bed, he shivered from the cold. Hiwatari looked livid, Sato was worried about what would happen next, and Yami, well Yami was just Yami. (Translation: he was bored and just sat there waiting for whatever to happen to just happen.)

As the morning came, Sato barely had an hour of sleep and was exhausted. Yami was still sitting there quietly…while Hiwatari was snoring up a storm. The soldiers opened up the doors, Sato got up wearily. Yami got up bored, Hiwatari came to and left the cell irritable. They stood before the king, and he noted Sato's lack of sleep.

"Mind explaining why the boy looks so tired?"

"We noticed but we don't know what caused it," answered the captain.

"You'd have trouble sleeping too if your cell mates snored louder than a dragon's roar and it was freezing!" snorted Sato annoyed.

"I don't snore…" said Yami.

"I was referring to the idiot who claims he's my father!"

"In that regard, I quite agree. His snore was louder than a dragon," chuckled Yami.

"We'll deal with that issue afterwards. First things first; what is your name boy?"

"Sato."

"Your full name," said the king impatiently.

"Sato Hikawa."

"And your last name is Hiwatari, correct?"

"Yes."

* * *

"Well isn't a tad _strange_ that the boy's last name is Hikawa while yours is Hiwatari?!"

"Sir, he _is _my son. Hikawa was his mother's last name."

"That last part true, but he isn't related to you by blood," said Yami angrily.

"And how would you know that? You're not related to the boy any more than the captain of the guard is!" retorted Hiwatari.

"Simple… Sire, do you remember an Arch Magus by the name of Lockwood?"

"I remember the man…he died 11 years ago, correct?"

"Do you recall the manner in which he died?"

"He was killed when his spell backfired. If I remember correctly, he was trying to kill his oldest son because he believed that the boy killed his wife. Why?"

"Do you recall the wife's name?" asked Yami.

"It was Rio. What are you getting at?!"

"Wait…Rio was my mother's name!" said Sato in recognition.

"What is your point?" asked the king again.

"If his mother is the same Rio Hikawa who married Lockwood, then that would make the late Arch Magus his father, correct?"

"I see your point. Sato, do you remember your father's name?"

"No…but I do remember that he always wore a ring in his left ear."

"Everyone knows the man wore that!" snorted Hiwatari.

"Not everyone wears their wedding ring on their ear though. Mother used to get onto him about that," said Sato, remembering that amusing incident.

"Very few knew about the ring being his wedding ring. Only those who either knew him well or were in his family knows about that," said the king's advisor.

"You have some explaining to do, Hiwatari…" said the captain angrily.

"Why don't you have the boy explain why he murdered his own mother in cold blood?" asked Hiwatari, thinking it would throw them off the truth.

"Do you really expect them to believe a _four-year _old Hikawa, who just got his wings a month before that incident, to be able to kill his mother?" snorted Yami.

"Sato, what do you remember of that day?"

"I…blacked out and when I came to, mother was dead, some man was standing over her body, and my brother was no where to be found. The next thing I knew, the villagers were ripping my wings off."

"WHAT?!"

"Apparently, the person who was standing over her body let the entire village know it was Sato's doing. As a result, they took their outrage out on him," said Yami.

"We'll deal with that later as well. Now, as for the problem of who has the boy…"

"I've raised him since his mother's death. Wouldn't it be a good idea to allow me to continue until he gets old enough to live on his own?" said Hiwatari.

"If you call attacking me with magic 'raising'…" mumbled Sato.

"What was that?"

"The one who claims he's my father… Whenever I returned from school with a report from my teacher about my performance, he would usually attack me with magic blasts. I used to have a hard time making a shield to block it."

"Have you any proof?" asked the advisor.

"The boy's right hand was completely blackened by burnt flesh, and it looked to have been that way for quite some time. It wasn't the result of a single blast, or a few blasts, but a succession of attacks over a period of several years," Yami said.

"Any other proof?" asked the advisor, still not convinced.

"I have something…but I won't allow my so called 'father' to get his hands on them. If he did, he'd destroy them," said Sato.

"What?"

"After my mother died and my 'father' started attacking me for not being able to use magic, I began keeping a diary. He caught me writing the first one and he nearly killed me after he destroyed it. Several of the entries in the diaries are written in my blood because I was too weak to write anything."

"Let me see these diaries. We'll finish this tomorrow after we see them," said the king.

"They're in my things. They're all the same size and make, and I dated every entry. Just please don't let him get ahold of them," said Sato.

"Very well. In the meantime, you shall be fed and sent back to the cells until we come to a decision. If you have any trouble sleeping again, you will be allowed to change cells. We need the space anyway," said the king with a wave of his hand.

* * *

As they sat in the cells yet again, Sato could sense the murderous intent of Hiwatari. He was beginning to become afraid… Yami sensed this and merely waited until Sato asked to change cells.

"Um…could I get another cell away from him?" asked Sato finally.

"You will have to share with the homicidal monster from Lunara's temple," shrugged the captain.

"Anything's better than being in his striking range!" said Sato.

"Very well…don't say I didn't warn you though. That man has been known to strangle infants in their sleep," said the captain.

"That's a rumor, thank you very much!" retorted Yami. (He had very sharp hearing if you hadn't guessed!)

Sato entered the cell and noted that Yami continued to remain in the far corner. He sat down on the bunk and asked, "Um…I hope I'm not intruding. I just didn't want to remain in his striking range any more…"

"Eh…I felt his murderous intent all the way in here. So what do you remember about your real family?" asked Yami in a semi-conversational tone.

"My brother used to teach me all sorts of things, like how to fly. But after mother died, he vanished…"

"I wouldn't get too comfy with that one kid. He's not the kind of person you'd want as a cell mate. He'll slit your throat as soon as talk to ya."

"Why?"

"He's a cold-blooded monster. Haven't you heard of that fire that killed thirteen people in a tavern? They found out that he was a servant to an oracle and threw him out. The next night the tavern caught fire for no reason and everyone in it died."

"That wasn't my fault! How many times do I have to say I didn't start it before you believe me?!" said Yami annoyed as hell. When the captain left for the night, Sato stayed where he was and shivered.

* * *

"You cold?" asked Yami.

"It's not exactly dry and warm in here," remarked Sato.

Yami got up and sat next to the boy. Sato could feel the temperature go up slightly. He turned to Yami and asked, "So what really happened to the tavern?"

Yami sighed before he said, "First off, I wasn't thrown out of the stupid place, I left it after I heard them badmouthing Master Lunara. I went back with one of the ice drakes and by the time I got there it was a huge fireball. There was nothing I could do."

"Why'd you go back?"

"Let me put it this way, if you saw a flaming ball and smoke from miles away, wouldn't you want to do something about it?"

"So that's why you took an ice dragon?"

"Yeah…guess how many years I've been a servant to Lunara," said Yami with a weak grin.

"About five, maybe 6?"

"Try eleven. Ever since the incident when my own mother was murdered, I've been living in the temple, obeying Master Lunara's command…until now anyway. I doubt she'll let me back after what I just pulled…"

"Why not? What happened?" asked Sato, interested now that he was no longer shivering.

"I went against her orders…to save my younger brother after he called out to me," said Yami.

"Do you think that Hiwatari will win?"

"Knowing that corrupt illegitimate king, probably. But there's something even Hiwatari can't disprove with his words," said Yami confidently.

"What?"

"The ties of blood. Even though he did 'raise' you for the past eleven years, he can't take you away if there is a living clan member still alive and willing to take you in as their own," said Yami, who knew this quite well. (He got bored during the visits to Solara's temple, so he often read through the books, including the laws.)

"So if there's still another Hikawa left, he can't get me?"

"Pretty much. Though the only way they could prove that they're really of the same clan is to have someone with a reputation for telling the truth to back up the claim."

Sato began to yawn at that point. Yami chuckled as he covered the boy with his cloak and allowed him to lay against him the full night.

* * *

The morning arose with a vengeance. Sato woke up, and was surprised to find himself asleep in Yami's embrace. They got up and left the cell to face the king's decision.

"Although we have found sufficient evidence that Hiwatari attacked the boy, the fact still remains that you have no other place to live. As such…" started the advisor.

"Not exactly. Isn't there a law that states that if there is a living relative willing to take him in, it overrules the surrogate parent?" said Yami before the sentence was complete.

"Yes…however, Rio Hikawa and her sons were the only remaining members of the Hikawa clan. It's impossible for there to be any left…believe me, we checked thoroughly."

"The older brother's death was never validated, correct?" said Yami calmly.

"What are you getting at?!" said Hiwatari.

"The older brother could still be alive. I'm sure he'd be old enough to take care of the boy."

"It would be impossible to find him in time. The chances of Yami Hikawa showing up out of nowhere to take his own brother in are almost…" started the advisor. Yami took off his hood and revealed his face. The king recognized it immediately.

"I don't believe it! Why didn't you come out and tell us who you were from the start?! And where the devil have you been for the past 11 years?!" said the king in surprise.

"In Master Lunara's temple of course. I fled the village after I realized that to stay would result in my own death," said Yami coolly.

"Why didn't you come out sooner?" said the advisor annoyed.

"If I had, then I probably would have suffered the same fate as my brother here. Hiwatari would have tried to claim he was my father as well, and who knows what might have happened."

"Sire, you can't honestly believe this monster is Sato's brother!" said Hiwatari in shock.

"His eyes are identical. I can never forget their cat-like appearance…" said the king.

"But sire, there's still the issue of someone to back up the claim. Who would validate the word of a coldhearted killer?" said the advisor.

"I would," said Lunara.

"Oracle Lunara…to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" said the king.

"I wondered why my servant vanished without my permission, and when he never returned for three days, I assumed he was in the grace of your infamous dungeon. I merely came to retrieve him."

"It seems you'll be taking two with you, if his claim that he is in fact _the _Yami Hikawa is true," said the advisor.

"It is. He came to my temple after his mother was inexplicably murdered and his younger brother accused of doing the deed."

"Very well. Though in the end it is the boy's decision. Whom will you go with, the man who raised you or your older brother who finally decided to return after 11 years?" asked the king.

Sato stood there thinking. If he went with Hiwatari, then the chances of living to see another day were almost zilch. If he went with his brother, who he hasn't seen for over 11 years, then he'd be living with a psychopathic murderer who could kill him at any time. He looked at the two, and it was only in Yami's eyes that he saw a trace of hope and pain. He turned to the king and said, "I'd rather stay by my brother. At least with him I know I won't be abused because of some report by those who don't even know me.

"Very well… as for Hiwatari, he will remain in the dungeon for wasting my valuable time."

As they went to take Hiwatari to the cells, he lunged at Sato snarling, "YOU UNGRATEFUL WRETCH! I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN YOU IN!" Sato cringed and was amazed when Yami went in between him and the lunatic he had called father for over 11 years.

"Back off, you murdering fool!" snarled Yami.

As Hiwatari attempted to launch an attack, Sato remembered a rhyme Yami taught him after Dai got his Rutile back. It was very similar to the retrieval spell, with one major difference. Unlike Dai, Sato would release his wings once the ring returned to its rightful owner!

"_Rutile of light, heed your master's call and return to me, release the wings of white night!"_ Sato said clearly under his breath.

At first it appeared as though nothing would happen…then Hiwatari's right hand glowed. A circular object flew from his hand into Sato's, and the room filled with pure white feathers. Sato's wings were larger than before, as if they had aged a few years! The king's guards stopped Hiwatari before he could do anything further, and Yami glared at the man.

"It was _you._ I thought I recognized you…you were the one who snuck into our house the day mother died!" snarled Yami.

"Have you any proof?"

"The Rutile he claimed was mother's and gave to me belonged to the Niri clan. That explains why I could never get it to work for me and why he could never get past the wards I set up around my room," said Sato.

"Why would he give you a Rutile from a rival clan?" asked the king.

"Because he took the one meant for him from our mother's dead body. He assumed that since they looked almost identical, then it wouldn't make any difference. The only way he could have gained that ring was if he had taken it off of her body before the villagers found out she had been killed," said Yami.

"It seems you'll be spending the rest of your miserable life in our dungeons, Hiwatari…" said the captain.


	7. Mental breakdown

**Mental breakdown**

"Nii-san, why didn't you just tell me who you were when you first came into the house?" asked Sato.

"Simple my Chibi Kage. Would you have believed me if I had? Besides, I had to wait until the king himself recognized me. Otherwise, Hiwatari might have won."

"I'm just glad you're finally back, nii-san!" said Sato. (Yami detected something in those words…something that made him suspect something snapped in his younger brother.)

* * *

When they got back to the temple, Yami knew there'd be hell to pay with his Master. She took them into her secret chamber, which only Yami and his Master were allowed access. Sato curled up to Yami when he sat down, and awaited his Master's wrath.

"Where should I start… first you leave the temple without my permission, then you confront a civilian, and to top it all off, you allow yourself to be thrown into the dungeon?! You better have a damn good explanation!" growled Lunara.

"Master…Sato called out to me. I could never stand by while someone harmed my own brother and I could do something about it! Wouldn't you try to protect Solara if you were in the same position?"

"Yami, don't drag my sister into this!"

"Sorry Master…"

"After the stunt you pulled, do you really think you deserve to call me Master?!"

"No. But I had no choice! If I hadn't shown up when I did, then Sato might not have lived."

"Will you abandon your brother?"

"Never again… Is there any way to make up for what I did?"

"No…but if there were, would you? Would you do it if it meant your brother remaining with that murderer?" said Lunara.

"I would…but only if it didn't involve Sato's life," said Yami firmly.

"Well, well…I never would have expected that you, of all people, had this sort of side," chuckled Lunara.

"What?"

"_Tset ym dessap uoY."_

"WHAT! You mean this was all a test?! But why?!" asked Yami confused and shocked.

"I had to see if you were willing to risk everything to protect your own. And you did."

"What does this mean?"

"It means you're not in trouble after all. And before you ask, Sato _is _going to stay with us from now on."

"Thank you…"

"Don't thank me just yet. I never did tell you the after-effects of a Rutile that has been used repeatedly by someone other than the owner and finally returned to its master," said Lunara.

"What happens?"

"Normally, it just loses its power until it can be passed down again. However, this one was used _against _its intended owner before it was retrieved. The last time this happened, the master of the Rutile had a major mental breakdown."

"How major…?"

"He lost all control of his intelligence and had to rely on his emotional age until he returned to normal."

"Oh hell…Sato's been abused, so he kept his emotions buried. His mental age may be a teenager's, but his emotional…he's probably still around four or five emotional wise," said Yami in dismay.

"Explains why he's curled up in your lap," chuckled Lunara.

"So what do I do? If he's going to act like a five-year-old in a fifteen-year-old body…"

"Humor him. Just pretend that you're making up for lost time."

"Oh joy. And what am I supposed to do if he asks where mother and father are?!"

"He won't. he may have lost his intellect, but he won't lose his memories. There's a difference," Lunara said.

"So what do I do now?"

"Pick him up and get some rest. You're gonna need it, trust me!" chuckled Lunara evilly.

"My problem, right?"

"You got it. If you didn't want to take responsibility, then you shouldn't have stuck your nose into his problems!" laughed Lunara maniacally.

_Sometimes I wonder if I'm the evil maniac, or if she is…_

* * *

Yami picked up Sato and they lay down in his room. They fell asleep against each other and didn't wake up until around noon. Yami was the first to get up, Sato followed ten minutes later.

"Ohayo, nii-san!" said Sato cheerfully.

"Guess again Little Shadow. It's nearly noon…" chuckled Yami.

"No way! How'd we sleep in so long, big brother?" asked Sato, curious.

"Probably the effect of finally retrieving mother's ring. Tell me, my Chibi Kage, do you know what happens after someone has pent up emotions for many years and they're suddenly let go?"

"Weird stuff?"

"Close…just means you won't be acting yourself for a while."

"Oh joy…" joked Sato.

"Ready to get up and learn some more spells?"

"He can't. Those who are the Rutile of Light's master, should it ever be used against them, lose their magic for a minimum of two weeks."

"So no flying lessons?"

"You can still have those. He can just use the Rutile to release his wings and you take it from there," shrugged Lunara.

"Yay!" said Sato happily.

Yami and Sato got up and had lunch. (As punishment for sleeping in so late, she didn't give them breakfast!) They went outside to practice just getting off the ground. Strangely Sato had no trouble pulling that off. His improved wings were the culprit in Yami's opinion. Then they moved onto gliding, which was a bit harder. As they took off, he noticed that Sato had trouble finding decent thermals, which was child's play to Yami.

-----

"How do you like it so far, little brother?"

"This is fun!" laughed Sato.

"Just wait until we get to the real fun stuff, my Chibi Kage. Ready to go higher?"

"How high can we go?"

"We can go up past the clouds during a storm. Master usually yells at me when I do that…"

"Why would she get mad at you?'

"Because for some reason, I always forget to take her along…"

"Can we go up now?"

"Ask me that _after _you learn to find thermals while gliding," chuckled Yami.

"Having fun, are we?"

"Ack! What're you doing up here Master?" asked Yami, getting over the initial shock.

"You didn't think I'd let you two have all the fun, did you?"

Yami noted that his brother was beginning to tire.

"I think we better take a break…"

"On a tree?"

"Ground, my Chibi Kage. We're going to land. Let's see how much fun you think _that _is," chuckled Yami evilly.

* * *

As they approached the ground, Yami could make out three lone figures near their unknown landing site…and they weren't from the castle.

"Hey, it's Dai!" said Sato. (One has an acute sense of hearing, while the other has eagle-sharp eyesight. Go figure.)

"Oh joy…Hikari's here too!" grumbled Yami.

"Hey sis!" Lunara called out, amused at their mixed reactions.

"Well this is a surprise. Never thought I'd live to see the day you actually enjoyed yourself and it didn't involve kicking each other's ass!" snickered Hikari.

"Hey Sato! Glad to see your wings came back!" said Dai.

"What're you doing here?" grumbled Yami.

"We heard about Hiwatari. Sorry about your dad…" said Dai.

"_He was NEVER my father!"_ hissed Sato angrily.

"Woah…sorry. Didn't know we hit a touchy spot," said Hikari quickly.

"Can I talk to you…alone?!" hissed Yami.

-----

"What?"

"We found Sato's Rutile…but there was a problem."

"How bad?"

"His-emotions-are-running-haywire-for-a-few-weeks bad."

"Ack… Let me guess. Hiwatari used it against Sato for years and now he's paying the price?"

"Pretty much. Until his emotions get back under control, he'll be like Dai. He only lost his intellect, but his memories are still there. Basically…we just have to wait this out."

"Great…" said Hikari, his voice full of sarcasm.

"I think now is the best time to warn you…his mental age is the same as a teenager's, but his emotional level puts him around 4 or 5," Yami said.

"Great…a brat in a teen's body. What'll happen next?" grumbled Hikari.

"Me becoming a nice guy?"

"Nah…not good enough," joked Hikari.

"Why don't you come up with something?" said Yami.

"You going out with Solara," Hikari said bluntly. (If Yami had a drink in his hand, he would have spewed it at that!)

"What?! Are you daft?!" said Yami in disbelief.

"I knew it! You _do _like her!" laughed Hikari.

"You are soooo dead!" growled Yami as he sucker punched Hikari hard.

* * *

"Boys, how many times do we have to tell you?" started Lunara.

"No fighting unless it's against the king!" finished Solara.

"Why the king?" asked Sato, confused.

"Remember that comment I made when we were in that cell? About the king being illegitimate?"

"I vaguely recall that. Why?"

"Our king…isn't a king at all. By law there should be a _queen or heir _ruling over these lands, not some half-assed moron who only got the position because his mother married the previous king!" snorted Yami.

"What?" 

"That's right! You've never heard the story behind our kingdom!" said Dai.

"First things first. Wings are coming off, Little Shadow!" said Yami firmly.

"Okay…" said Sato in a (childish) whine. Dai looked at him strangely.

They released their wings and went back to the temple. As Sato sat down, he found himself between Dai and Yami. Just how he liked it!

* * *

"So when are you guys gonna fill me in?" said Sato, breaking the silence.

"When we're good and ready!" chuckled Yami.

"Which will be when?"

"You're impatient, ya know that?" commented Hikari.

"He can't help it. Have you ever known a child to be patient?" Lunara reminded him.

"Touché."

"What're you guys talking about? Sato is like, a year older than I am!" said Dai.

"I'll explain later."

"I'll tell him now and get it over with!" said Yami annoyed.

"Well?"

"Hiwatari did more than pretend he was Sato's father. He also used the Rutile against its true owner for more than 11 years."

"What?!"

"Here's the deal Dai. Whenever a Rutile is use _against _its true master, once that person regains control of the ring, their mind has a mental breakdown. That allows their emotions to take over and they act on their emotional age. In Sato's case, he's about 4 or 5."

"Why?"

"That's when our mother was murdered. But there is some good news," said Yami.

"What could possibly be good about having a mental breakdown?!"

"Even though his brain has quit controlling his body, his emotions are restricted by memories. In other words, he won't turn into a 5-year-old completely. He'll still be Sato…except he won't have as many problems telling a girl he has a crush on that he likes her…" hinted Hikari. (He knew full well that Dai had a HUGE crush on the kitsune twin Riku!)

"Nii-san!" said Dai in dismay.

"Don't be so embarrassed Dai! I thought it was cute how you two beat around the bush and won't admit you like each other," laughed Solara.

"Can we get back to our original topic? Why is the king not king?!" interrupted Sato.

"Well done Chibi Kage! He's right…we need to tell him the truth and get it over with," said Yami.


	8. Ancient History

**Ancient history**

"Here's how the mess got started…" said Dai.

"When the land was still a barren wasteland, three clans got together to make it livable. They were the Niri, the Hikawa and the Tsubasa. Now they turned the land into the forests we know today through their magic, which originated from an ancient mirror known as the 'Black Wings'. After the land became hospitable, their fellow townships got together to create a monarchy. They had to choose between the three clans to decide which would rule the kingdom," said Yami.

"They had a system, which in our opinion, was a very good idea. Their friends all choose the Tsubasa clan to rule the kingdom. Here's the interesting thing though…should the Tsubasa clan fall without an heir, the other two clans would choose which one would take its place. Usually it was a tie. The Hikawa clan would rule during the darker years while the Niri took charge during the years with plenty of sun," said Hikari.

"And?"

"Well, thankfully the Tsubasa clan is still around… but it wasn't until around 200 years ago that things started to go sour," said Lunara.

"How?"

"The Tsubasa clan started to die out. This wouldn't have been a problem if our previous king hadn't gotten stupid and remarried after the true queen died!" said Solara annoyed as hell.

"What's the problem with that?"

"Normally it wouldn't have done much damage…except the queen who died was of the Tsubasa clan. The king should never have remarried! If he had minded his place, then maybe our lives wouldn't be so bad," said Hikari.

"So the queen was of the Tsubasa…I still don't see…"

"The king wasn't allowed to remarry into _any_ of the three clans. He should have remembered that the law only allows legitimate heirs to rule the throne. All he would have had to do was to rule the kingdom until the oldest heir becomes of age. Then they could take over until the next generation took control. Instead, the king remarried and had a son with another woman, resulting in confusion as to who the true heir was," said Solara.

"What happened to the real heirs?" asked Sato.

"Here's where it gets interesting. It seems when the queen died, she left her daughter a gift of sorts. She was given the 'Sight'. Though after that we have no idea what happened…" said Yami.

"So you don't know if there is still a rightful heir…"

"We do… When you first met Dai and Solara, did you feel a sort of familiarity?" asked Lunara.

"I did feel like I met them before. Dai I have met because we lived in the same village."

"Well, the three clan's magic is practically identical to one another, so that connection you felt was a resonating pulse from your magic and theirs."

"So how can we tell the difference between magic?"

"That…is the problem. Both Niri and Hikawa clans were given the Sight as well, though not as strongly. So we don't know who is Hikawa, or who is Tsubasa," lied Lunara.

"I still don't get why having a king who isn't really legit a problem…"

"The Black Wings, the mirror which allowed this kingdom to flourish, is still around. It seems that because they used the mirror, should it be destroyed then we'd die too."

"So our tie to nature is tied to this mirror?"

"And to make matters worse…our neighboring countries are well aware that our king isn't from a legitimate bloodline and are making things difficult."

"By difficult you mean…?"

"They refuse to trade with our country until a legitimate heir from one of the bloodlines retakes control of the kingdom," said Solara, slightly glad of this.

"Then why aren't you more concerned?"

"They won't trade with the kingdom as a whole, but they will trade to people that are _from_ the 3 clans so long as they know they can trust them. Which is why…"

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" muttered Sato. (Yami and Dai heard his comment and chuckled.)

"Which is why we're going in two weeks. You and me are going to trade goods and return," said Dai.

"Why can't I go with nii-san? Not that I don't mind hanging out with you…" said Sato quickly.

"Because in two weeks I'll be away on my own mission… My job is to research ways to get the king off the throne without causing a panic," said Yami.

"So how are we gonna get there?"

"Normally Dai would fly using his wings, but since yours aren't strong enough yet, you'll use the dragons."

"Oh no…don't tell me we have to use…!" said Dai in horror.

"Yes…you will have to use the cranky one. He's the only one strong enough to carry two people plus goods!" said Lunara firmly.

"Oh joy…"

"What's so bad about flying on dragon-back? I rode on it before and I came out unscathed," joked Sato.

* * *

When the next morning rose, Sato got up before his brother and went outside. He would have tried his wings if it weren't for two things. First, he didn't think Yami would be happy if he crashed without someone to help him, and two (which happened to be the main reason), he heard a commotion from the stables containing the dragons. He went to the door and narrowly avoided colliding with another boy who was running as far away as possible from the stables.

"What was his problem?" asked Sato.

"Lunara sent yet _another_ coward to tend to the dragons. Nice to see you again, Sato Hikawa," said the caretaker. (Strangely enough his name happened to be_ Drake._)

"Morning to you too, Drake-san," chuckled Sato, "So which dragon sent that boy running?"

"The most difficult Ice Drake we have. He used to be the easiest one…but he started becoming irritable a few months ago. I can't figure out why though."

"Can see him?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you…"

As Sato entered the pen, he noticed that the dragon in question was taking a nap. He came closer and nearly fell when the dragon deliberately slammed his tail on the ground, causing a bucket on a shelf to fall on Sato's head. (Yup, you guessed it. The shelf just happened to be directly above the door that Sato used!)

Sato stood there and chuckled. He took the bucket off and looked at the dragon, trying not to laugh.

"I guess he has a sense of humor," laughed Sato. The dragon opened an eye amused that the boy was still there.

"You won't get rid of me that easily," said Sato, laughing outright.

"It's nice to finally meet another who sees this one's sense of humor. The last dozen or so children that she sent me always flee the minute he does that," chuckled Drake.

"Is that the reason why that particular bucket was on the shelf?"

"I put that there as a way for him to test them. He seems to think it is as amusing as I do."

"Does he have a name?"

"We don't give them names unless we get too close. It makes their death easier for us when the arch-magus's decided that their number is too great. Which is almost every time they see them in the sky," grumbled Drake.

"So what was his job supposed to be?" asked Sato, changing the subject.

"Dragons build up dead scales, just as we do skin. His job was to scrub that off to help maintain his health…and ours."

"Let me guess… If a dragon has too much built up scales, they get cranky and tend to destroy things to get rid of the itch."

"You better believe it."

"So can I help?" asked Sato.

"Sure. All you have to do is get the scales to come off and there's a certain point when the dragons get up and jump in the lake to let the fish finish the job off. I don't recommend being on him when he does that…"

"Okay. So where do I start?"

"Anywhere you want. Though I recommend the head, seeing how he tends to bite after around ten minutes of scrubbing."

"Got it," said Sato, picking up the brush and bucket. (It was full of lake water and there was soap nearby as well.)

Sato went directly to the dragon's head and began scrubbing, causing scales to fall off all over the place. Since Drake made no indication that he cared, Sato assumed it was normal. He never noticed Yami enter the pen.

* * *

"Whatcha doing?"

"Wha…! Don't do that nii-san!" said Sato surprised.

"I would say I'm sorry, but I ain't," chuckled Yami.

"I came to see what the commotion was in the pens and I nearly got run over by a kid my age. Apparently he's afraid of dragons, so I offered to take over his job," explained Sato.

"Well at least now you have something to do. And to think I was worried you'd get bored."

"Where're you going now?" asked Sato.

"Master asked me to check the records for anything on the Tsubasa clan again. It seems Riku ran across some I haven't already read 100 times already…" said Yami in a bored tone.

"When will you get back?"

"In 3 days. Have fun."

* * *

Sato went back to scrubbing the dragon, which started to scratch himself near the horns. He was confused since he had just finished with the horns. He went to investigate when the dragon began to scratch harder and harder until it became clear that he would start to bleed. Drake noticed this and immediately came to the pen.

"Not again! That's the third time this week!" groaned Drake.

"What's going on?"

"I have no idea. He's been doing this for months now, ever since I started using him to train the new caretakers!"

"Wait…wasn't that when he started to become difficult?"

"Yeah…what's your point?"

"Hang on a sec…" said Sato as he went to see what the cause was.

The dragon continued to scratch with vigor. Whatever it was, it clearly made the dragon _very _uncomfortable.

"Hey, do you know what happens when too many scales build up in one spot?" asked Sato.

"Yes…they form a sort of mound or lump. Why?"

"Because there are two of them on him. One behind each horn," said Sato.

"What?!"

"That's what it looks like to me. Two lumps, one behind each horn…and there's some sort of black stuff on it…"

"Black stuff? Oh no… whatever you do, _do not, I repeat, DO NOT touch them!_" said Drake in dismay.

"Why? What are they?"

"They're annoying parasites that somehow manage to get on top of the built up scales. If you touch them, they will bite. I've seen grown men lose their fingers by touching just one."

"So touching bad…got it."

"How may do you see on him?" asked Drake, getting some tools.

"About four at least. Three on the one nearest to you and one on my side."

"Take this chisel and find a spot. Then give it one good hard hit. That usually dislodges the scales. And it always takes those accursed things with them!"

Sato followed his instructions exactly, and sure enough, a large chunk of scale fell off. It became clear to Sato that there was more to remove than they originally thought. He continued hitting spots until he could see fresh scales.

"I think I got most of it…" said Sato finally.

"You mean you kept chiseling even though you took off those blasted things?! Do you have any idea how sensitive those scales are after you remove the old ones?"

"I only did it because it looked to me like there was more than we thought. And judging by his reaction, I'd say we found out why he's been so irritable."

"You're on your own then. I'll get the dragonhide gloves and get rid of these damn things so you can finish. If you find anymore, then get me as fast as you can. It's almost impossible to get them off without taking a few digits along with them."

"Got it."

* * *

An hour later, Sato finished his job. The dragon felt him finish and didn't wait for Sato to get out of the way. He was actually _on _the dragon's back when it got up and ran straight to the lake. He felt the water when it dived headfirst and did his best to hold his breath. The dragon finally realized Sato was still on it, so it surfaced early; just barely in time.

"Woah…didn't expect that!" laughed Sato.

**Wouldn't have been much fun if you had!** Chuckled a strange voice inside his head.

"Who said that?"

**Look down boy. You're on my back.**

"Wait…how can I hear a dragon talking to me?"

**We have minds too you know. Though you're the first in a long time to hear us.**

"Mind if I get on land?"

**Sure.**

Sato got off on the shore and waited for the dragon to return…


	9. Sato's new friend

**Sato's new friend**

Drake immediately went to the lake shore and saw Sato sitting there.

"What happened?!"

"Apparently, he got impatient and took me for a dip in the lake," said Sato dryly.

"He what?"

"It's a male dragon. Apparently since Lunara started sending newbies to the stable, they haven't been reaching behind the horns and the scales kept building up until…well, you already know."

"How do you know it's male?"

"He said that females tend to remain in Solara's area."

"Wait…you can hear the dragon?"

"I heard him talk to me after he came back up to the surface," shrugged Sato.

"How did you end up in the lake?" asked Lunara.

"I was doing the job that other kid abandoned and when I finished, he ran into the lake before I got off," said Sato.

"It's a male?"

"He said he could hear it…I mean him, in his head."

"Did he give you a name?"

"One…he said it was one they use to refer to those who dwell inside the barrier. What barrier was he referring to?"

"To keep the king from intruding on our temple, we put a barrier in place to keep them out."

"That didn't work when Hiwatari and those soldiers came!"

"That's because it only works if there is a powerful active source of magic around. When we left, our magic left with us. In other words, so long as one of the three clans is around, the barrier will remain up."

"Oh…"

"What was the name he gave you?"

"I'm not sure if I pronouncing this right… he said it was 'thurirl'."

"What's that?"

"He wouldn't say. Though he did mention that it should be obvious by now."

"No hints, eh?"

"Nope."

The dragon left the lake and laid down on the ground near Sato. He looked ready to take a nap.

* * *

When Yami returned two days later, he was surprised to find Sato and the dragon trying to out-fly each other for no apparent reason. They landed five minutes later, and went to greet him.

"Hey nii-san!"

"Hey otouto…why do you have one of Master Lunara's dragons out?"

"We're racing each other. Want to join us?" asked Sato.

"Can't…I found something Master will want to know immediately, but maybe later, 'kay?"

"Oh…alright…" said Sato, disappointed.

* * *

"Well Yami?"

"Master, it seems Riku stumbled upon something very serious. More serious than our current situation with that damn King."

"What?"

"The mirror of legend, the Black Wings, requires one of the three clans to remain on the throne. If there isn't any, it will start to unbind the magic and kill everything!" said Yami, concerned.

"And is there any way to reverse this?"

"A sacrifice from two of the three clans. They would have to give up their very soul to keep the mirror from dying."

"Did it specify which ones?"

"No…"

"Thank you for telling me this. We'll have to deal with it before that damn king ruins the entire kingdom!" grumbled Lunara.

* * *

"Alright Sato, what're the rules for the race?" asked Yami after he went back outside.

"No magic, only use your wings and no cheating!" laughed Sato.

"Fair enough. So who's going to be the judge?"

"I'll try to keep up and make sure neither of you is cheating," said Dai.

"3, 2, 1, GO!" yelled Drake. (His main source of entertainment for the afternoon was watching them race the dragon.)

It was quite clear that Yami and the dragon were giving their all…and they were evenly matched. There wasn't a clear winner and it ended up as a tie. As Yami sat on the grass catching his breath, he turned to the dragon and said, "Good race."

**You too.**

"He said you too," said Sato.

"You can hear him?"

"Yeah…I was on his back when he went to wash off any leftover scales and when we came to the surface I could hear him."

"Okay… So what do you want to do next?" asked Yami, shrugging.

"I don't know…"

**Why don't we relax for the afternoon and then practice spells?**

"That's a great idea!" said Sato.

"What is?"

"He said we should relax for the afternoon and then practice spells."

"Does he have a name?"

**It's Getsurin.**

"He said it's Getsurin."

"Can we call him Surin?"

**I don't care.**

"Getsurin said he didn't care."

* * *

As they were about to go to bed, Yami noticed Sato didn't follow him like last time.

"Gonna sleep by yourself tonight?"

"Nah…Getsurin said he'll stay with me tonight," said Sato.

"Well I doubt Master will appreciate having a fully grown dragon in her temple…"

**We can change our size you dolt.**

"Getsurin said they can change their size," said Sato, leaving out the last part.

"He said something else, didn't he…"

"Um…he called you a 'dolt'."

"Thought so…see you two in the morning," yawned Yami.

"Goodnight nii-san," said Sato, also with a yawn. Getsurin turned into a smaller version of himself, and let Sato curl up against him. Sato whispered, "Goodnight, Getsurin…"

_

* * *

_

_He was flying…though he couldn't see the ground below. He vaguely noticed something flying above him; he couldn't see what it was due to the sun's blinding rays above the clouds. He wanted to land and see what was above him, but his wings refused to cooperate. He could only fly upwards. Suddenly, the figure above him dropped down to eye-level. It was Getsurin._

"_Getsurin…where are we?"_

**"_Welcome to your dreamscape. Bet you're wondering why I'm in it."_**

"_That crossed my mind…"_

**"_It seems that when our minds connected, our magic must have come into sync with each other."_**

"…"

**"_Our magic is now at the same level with each other. In other words…you can now use OUR spells."_**

"_By 'our' you mean…"_

**"**_**Me and my kin. You can use darastrix arcaniss."  
**__"What's that?"_

**"_Translated into your tongue, it means 'Dragon Magic'."_**

"_Oh… So what're we doing in my dreams? Shouldn't we be in yours?"_

**"_About that…if this were MY dreamscape, then you'd probably be a Blue dragon…and I don't particularly LIKE Blue dragons in my territory."_**

"_What's the difference?"_

**"_Our attitude towards toasting Magus for one…"_**

"_I thought you were an Ice dragon. How can you toast someone with ice?"_

**"_Blues fry their Magus with their lightning, while me and my fellow Whites prefer to make them suffer from a little thing called 'FREEZER BURN'."_**

"_What is freezer burn?"_

**"_Ever heard of 'frostbite'?"_**

"_Isn't that what you get when you stay out in the cold for too long?"_

**"_Something like that."_**

"_Did you hear something?"_

**"_Yes…crap…looks like you'll experience my dreamscape after all. If you meet me in an icy tundra, remember to show respect. We Adult Dragons don't take kindly to a very young dragon that doesn't show the right respect…"_**

"_Okay…should I mention that I prefer to give any enemy Magus Freezer Burn instead of electrocuting them?"_

**"_You could try. It might help, but I seriously doubt it. If nothing else, say you're a Thurirl."_**

"_What does that mean anyway?"_

**"_You'll see…"_**

_**XxXxX**_

_Sato felt his dream slip into a barren tundra…there was ice all around him. Before he could turn to look behind him, he heard a booming voice saying…__ "What business does a Very Young Blue have in MY domain?!"_

_Sato turned to see Getsurin…only he was bigger and a hell of a lot crankier!_

**"I did not mean to intrude on your territory, Great White…"** _said Sato quickly._

**"_What is your business? Speak wisely before I decide to kill you!"_**

_(Sato remembered just in time an old saying Drake once taught him.)_

**"A perfect answer tomorrow is better than a good answer today."**

**"_Wise answer. Now what is your name and purpose? Shouldn't you be in the desert looking for your own territory?"_**

**"My name is Sato and I am a 'thurirl'?"**

**"_Your pronunciation is off…"_**_ chuckled Getsurin._

**"Sorry about that, Getsurin."**

**"_How do you know my name if I haven't given it to you?!" _**

**"You also prefer giving a Magus Freezer burn rather than biting their head off."**

**"_Who are you really?"_**

**"Like I said before, my name is Sato."**

**"_Is that your FULL name?"_**

**"My full name is Sato Hikawa."**

**"_Hikawa… I've heard that name before, but where?"_**

_**It was from me. That Blue isn't actually a dragon at all. It's the boy I told you about. The one who was able to hear my voice.**_

_**Crap…you mean this is the same kid?**_

_**It seems our magic fell in sync with each other and now we can enter into each other's dreamscape. It also means he can learn our magic.**_

_**Great…how the hell am I supposed to explain why I'm mentoring a Blue?!**_

_**Sato should be able to change his coloring by releasing his wings…**_

**"_So, can you change your scale color if you open your wings?"_**

**"I'll try…"** _said Sato as he attempted to unfurl his wings in his dream. (His scales went from blue to white and he became a smaller version of Getsurin…)_

**"_I'll be damned. Well, at least now I won't have to explain why I have a Blue under my wing…"_**

**"**_**Why not? And what does that mean anyway?"** asked Sato._

**"**_**You don't know? It means you'll be under my tutelage boy."  
It means he'll be your teacher in dragon magic.**_

_Oh…thanks for telling me Getsurin!  
__**I better warn me of your little problem…**_

_What now?_

_**The boy has a bit of a problem. His mental part of his mind has shut down and now his emotional side has taken over. So in other words…his emotions will be in control and the only thing to keep them in check are his memories. And emotionally, he's about the same age as a wyrmling…around four or five in human years.**_

_Oh hell no…_

_**Cheer up…its not as bad as you think.**_

_…_

* * *

Sato wakes up from his bizarre dream and looks at Getsurin. The dragon opens a sleepy eye and chuckles in amusement from the look Sato shot him. They got up and went to breakfast; they were very amused at the sight of Yami's bed-head look. He was growling like a cranky dragon thanks to their snickers. (Lunara's response to his growling was to throw his tea mug at his head. His reaction was to catch it before it hit the ground and glaring at his Master!)

"Sleep well last night, Sato?" asked Lunara in a conversational tone.

"Sorta…I had a really weird dream last night with Getsurin in it…"

**You better split some of your breakfast with me boy…or else.**

_Why wouldn't I? Your stall is at the very end, and that means you're the last to get breakfast!_

**Smart choice…I'm always a grouch if I don't get my breakfast PRONTO in the mornings…**

"I take it Getsurin wants breakfast as well?"

"Yup…he said I better share mine or else," said Sato with a laugh.

"In that case, I better give you double. Half for you and half for him!" laughed the cook.

When Getsurin had his first bite, he had a very strange look on his face.

**No fair! How come you lot eat better than we do in the morning?**

Sato chuckled at the comment and Lunara had a quizzical look.

"Hey said, 'how come you lot eat better than we do in the morning'?"

"We do?"

**Trust me when I say our breakfast isn't very pleasant in the morning…especially when it's cold!**

"He said their breakfast isn't as good, especially when its cold."

"I'll have to ask Drake what he's feeding you and your friends for breakfast…and the other meals as well."

* * *

"Lady Lunara, to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Drake.

"The dragon Sato had with him, Getsurin, says their breakfast isn't that great in the morning. What on earth are you feeding them?"

"Just a balanced diet of meat and plants."

"A healthy breakfast, eh?"

"I can't let my charges get too fat to fly, now can I?" chuckled Drake.

**What the…? What does he think we are, horses?!**

"Getsurin wants to know if you think he and his friends are horses…" said Sato.

"Well the do carry weight the same way horses do, so I suppose I do sort of think of them as horses with leathery wings…"

**Tell him that unlike those steeds, we don't store fat. We store the excess as energy to use later.**

"Getsurin said that dragons don't store the excess as fat, but as energy for later."

"Is that so? In that case I think they deserve a change of pace…" said Drake.

After that morning the dragons received an entirely different diet. Instead of plants and dead meat, they got fresh meat and no plants unless they wanted it. Drake allowed them to hunt for their own food, provided they didn't kill off any of the other wildlife.


	10. Dragon training

**Dragon training**

During the day Sato worked on flying, but at night he trained with Getsurin and his other self. It was tiring him out; he couldn't wait until it was time to fly to the other kingdoms to trade! They left in the night, to ensure that the king's spies wouldn't see them leave. As they crossed the borders, Sato noted that Dai and Getsurin were very tense until they were safely across.

"What's up with you two?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"The king has forbidden _anyone _from crossing the borders without his knowledge. We have to cross at night or they'll see us and probably try to shoot us down again."

"Why would they do that?"

-----

**Because your ruler is a greedy bastard who would want to take more than he should so his own subjects would suffer.**

_Why would he do that?_

-----

"Why would the king take any of the goods? We're doing this for everyone, not just the castle!"

"Because he's a greedy monarch. He doesn't give a damn about his people…" grumbled Dai.

"So is there anything I need to know about the kingdoms?"

"Yup…all ya gotta do is follow my lead. They have oracles as well, so we sent them a warning that a newbie was going to join me. Don't worry, you'll be fine," said Dai.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

**…**

* * *

"Welcome back, Niri Dai-san," said the official welcoming committee. 

"It's good to get away from that idiot's tyranny," joked Dai.

"Who is the boy beside you?"

**Tell him your name!**

"My name is Hikawa Sato," said Sato nervously.

"So you're Hikawa Yami's younger brother. He has spoken of you many times," said the oracle.

"Shall we get down to business?" asked Dai.

"Indeed."

Two days after they finished trading, they returned to the temple in the dark of night through a fog bay around the land. Sato was slightly concerned about this, though Dai acted as if nothing were wrong.

-----

"Dai, how are we…?"

**They always place a fog bank around the temple. It would be too hard to explain why they have the landing lights on the ground otherwise.**

"It's easier to say that the landing lights are for the fog around the place," shrugged Dai.

"Oh…"

"So, how did it go?" asked Yami.

"Fairly well. It seemed they were amused by the fact that I was the one with Sato and not you."

"Well we were busy. So what did you think, Chibi Kage?"

"It was cool!" grinned Sato. (This evoked a laugh out of everyone.)

"So you enjoyed escaping the king, eh?" asked Hikari when he finally quit laughing.

"You know sometimes I can't help but envy you, my Chibi Kage," chuckled Yami.

"How come nii-san?"

"Because thanks to the effects of the Rutile, you can be honest with your feelings…" said Solara.

"Eh?" said Sato with a confused look.

XxXxX

**Humans quit being honest about their feelings around the time they become teens. They become self-conscious about themselves, and as a result, they quit honest with themselves and with others.**

_Why?_

**Beats me…something to do with appearances I think…**

XxXxX

"So what're you gonna do now, my Chibi Kage?" asked Yami, still amused.

"I was thinking of training with Getsurin," said Sato.

"Training? What sort of training?"

"He's teaching me darastrix arcaniss!" said Sato happily.

"What?"

"He said in his tongue it means dragon magic."

"Really?"

* * *

Getsurin nodded, and they shrugged. Sato and his dragon-sensei went into a field with no one nearby to get hurt. 

**Ready boy?**

"Yes, Getsurin-sensei."

**What is a sensei anyway?**

"According to nii-san, its literally translation is 'one who has come before'. But mostly we use it as a way to say teacher."

**Ah…**

The first thing they did was to bring out Sato's draconic form, which they named _Satoshi._ As he spread his wings, he noticed something very wrong below. A Magus under the king was nearby, and he saw Satoshi at the same moment he saw the Magus. A blast of fiery hot magic shot towards Satoshi, and he narrowly dodged the blast.

**Getsurin! There's a Magus!**

_**WHAT!**_

**He's shooting at me!**

_**I think it's time you learned how to use your breath attack.**_

**…**

_**Feel the energy from deep within your lungs. Then, take a deep breath and send that energy outward at the Magus.**_

**Okay.**

As Satoshi took a deep breath, he turned towards the Magus and exhaled. A surge of frozen-air hit the Magus dead-on, killing him instantly.

_**Well done. And to think I wasn't expecting you to get it right on the first try!**_

**Getsurin, what was that?**

_**That, my apprentice, was your BREATH ATTACK. Remember when I told you how Blues and Whites have different ways of killing Mages? Well I was referring to our breath. Every dragon can use a certain element, and ours happens to be ice.**_

**What about Blues?  
_Lightning. Blacks use acid; Reds use fire, and so on. Remember this though…once you use your breath attack there is a time limit until you can use it again. The most efficient way to use that attack is when there are MULTIPLE enemies. If there's just one, then use your wings to bludgeon them, your tail to smash them, bite them with your fangs, or just shear their skin to shreds using your claws._**

**Why would anyone want to kill a dragon to begin with? I didn't do anything to provoke him!**

_**Dragons have an ability that naturally produces fear in almost any creature. The only sure fire way to avoid this fear is to be unable to see the dragon. We see better than humans, and our sense of smell is very acute, so they can't exactly sneak up on us very easily.**_

**Cool.**

_**Though you have better eyesight than most humans anyway…**_

**I've noticed that as well. Getsurin, what should we do if the Magus had friends nearby?**

_**Wait until they gang up in a single spot, then use the breath on them all at once. Remember, your breath attack is best used with multiple enemies, especially when they're in the same spot.**_

* * *

By the time the Magus fled, Satoshi had improved his aim considerably; they shook in terror if Satoshi so much as took a deep breath. This amused them to no end. They headed back to the temple for dinner, Sato being back in his human form by then, and heard an interesting piece of news. 

"Sato, are you alright?!" asked Lunara in concern.

"Yeah…why wouldn't I be?"

"We heard a report from the villagers that the king has sent a group of Magus to storm the temple. Apparently they finally figured out that those fog banks aren't natural," said Dai.

"Did they say how many of them?" asked Sato.

"Around 12 or 13. Why?"

Sato began laughing and when he finally settled down, he said, "Because Getsurin and I just dealt with a group of Magus when we were training!"

"WHAT!"

"Yup. One of them attacked me without warning and Getsurin taught me how to use a dragon's breath attack. They were great target practice!"

"You and your dragon got rid of 13 Magus? That's great Sato!" said Hikari.

"You should have seen their faces whenever I took a deep breath! It was hilarious!" laughed Sato.

"_Su tsnaiga ymra eritne dnes lliw eH."_

"Crap…she said 'HE WILL SEND HIS ENTIRE ARMY AGAINST US."

"You've really got to tell me how you can understand those predictions of hers…" grumbled Hikari.

"You just put the sentence backwards in your head, baka."

"I heard her say that too, Hikari," said Sato.

"You too?!"

"So what're we gonna do?" asked Dai.

"Simple. You and Getsurin recover; I don't want either of you going out training alone again!" said Lunara firmly.

"Hai, Lunara-sama."

_

* * *

_

**Hey…have you noticed the looks Yami and Solara have been shooting at each other lately?**

_Not really…_

**Why don't you ask Hikari if he noticed too? I have a feeling that we're gonna have some fun with those two…**

_Hai…_

* * *

"Hikari, Getsurin wants to know if you've noticed the looks nii-san and Solara have been giving each other." 

"He saw those too? So I'm not the only one then…"

"Why would they be giving each other weird looks?"

"He-he-he… You're as clueless as otouto…" chuckled Hikari.

**Tell Hikari we'll make a bet.**

"Getsurin wants to make a bet," said Sato.

"Tell him I'm in."

**I bet that Yami will kiss Solara before the sun sets tomorrow evening.**

_WHAT!_

"What?"

"He said he bets my brother will kiss Solara before the sun sets tomorrow evening…"

"You're on! If not, then you'll have to help me get Dai to admit he likes Riku in front of her!" chuckled Hikari.

**If I win, then he has to clean the dragon stables for a week.**

"If we win, you have to clean the dragon's stables for a week."

"Fair enough. So how are you two gonna get them to…?"

**I ain't tellin'.**

"We're not telling."

"…"

* * *

"Nii-san, do you like Solara?" asked Sato bluntly. (His brother had was drinking something when he said this.) 

"What?! … (Chokes a bit)… What did you just say?!"

"I asked if you liked Solara."

"Did that twit Hikari put you up to this?!"

"No… though Getsurin and I made a bet with Hikari that you'd kiss her before the sun sets tomorrow evening."

"YOU WHAT?!"  
Sato didn't repeat his statement. Yami looked at his younger brother in disbelief.

"I don't believe this… Why'd you make a bet like that, Chibi Kage?!"

"It was the dragon's idea! He's the one who noticed the looks you two have been giving each other!" protested Sato.

"I'm going to kill that dragon if it's the last thing I do!" growled Yami.

"So you do like her…"

"Drop it!" snapped Yami; Sato flinched at his brother's tone and the other softened immediately.

"Sorry Sato… It's just that it's too complicated…" sighed Yami.

As Sato headed outside, he noticed Solara sitting down near a tree. He approached and she grinned as she said, "Hey Sato-chan, what's up?"

"Solara, do you like my brother?" he said bluntly. (The look she held on her face was mixed at best.)

"What makes you ask such a question? Of course I like him! He is my friend after all…" she stammered, blushing.

"I mean more than just as a friend…"

"…"

"Sorry…guess I shouldn't have asked…" sighed Sato.

"It's alright… But what brought about such a question?" asked Solara.

"Getsurin made a bet with Hikari that my brother would kiss you before the sun set tomorrow evening."

"He what?"

"He made a bet with Hikari."

"And what would happen if you two won?"

"Hikari would clean the dragon's stables for a week."

"And if you lost?"

"We'd help Dai admit he likes Riku with her within earshot."

"In that case, count me in!" laughed Solara.

"Lunara, I assume you heard the bet as well?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"So what do you say? Shall we get Hikari to clean the stables?"

"Definitely! It's time he learned to get his mind off girls!" laughed Lunara evilly.

* * *

(Next up, the pairings between Riku and Dai, as well as Solara and Yami, will finally come to pass! The next chapter will be a lovey-dovey kind, 'The bet of love!') 


	11. The bet of love

**The bet of love**

"Sato, why'd you bring me to Lady Lunara's temple?" asked Riku.

"Because I'm tired of seeing Dai pretend to ignore his feelings. If you want to hear how he feels about you, stay hidden and I'll do my best to get him to admit it," grinned Sato. (He noted that Riku blushed brightly at his proposal!)

"Okay…I guess…" stammered Riku.

* * *

"Sato-kun, why'd you want me to meet you outside? Is there something the matter?" asked Dai.

"Dai, do you like Riku-san?"

"WHA!!!!!"

"Well?"

"We live together in the same temple! She is my friend!"

"Oh? Do you like as just a friend?"

"Well…" stammered Dai blushing. (He spent at least ten minutes describing the things he liked about Riku, never knowing she was nearby and listening!)

"So in other words, you like as more than a friend," said Sato finally.

"Just don't tell anyone!" said Dai embarrassed.

"Too late. You can come out now Riku!" laughed Sato.

"WHAT!"

Riku walked up to Dai and kissed him, grinning. Sato started laughing as Dai turned the same color as his hair. He left the two alone, then went to the oracle sisters to plot how to get his older brother to admit the truth. He had less than 9 hours to pull it off…

* * *

"So how're we going to pull it off? He'll since a second Clan presence the instant we bring Solara near…" said Lunara.

"And we can't ask Hikari for help…he'll ruin everything!" said Solara.

"Not if we trick my brother into thinking you're Lunara. You could try taking him into that chamber of yours and get him to admit he likes you. Even I have a hard time telling the difference between your magical signatures!" said Sato.

"Perfect! That will definitely work. But how to make sure Hikari sees him…?" murmured Solara.

"Easy…we'll wait until he admits he likes you, then we'll wait outside and watch. Just make sure he kisses you before sunset!"

"Yup."

* * *

"So what's this about?" asked Yami. He was inside the secret chamber with 'Lunara', and she faced him and asked, "What are your feelings towards my elder sister?"

"What? What brought this about all of a sudden?" asked Yami nervously.

"Don't think I haven't noticed the looks you two have been giving each other. What are your feelings towards Solara?" demanded 'Lunara'.

"Well…I…" stammered Yami. Under her piercing stare, he finally said, "I like her as a friend…"

"Is that all? Is there anything you like about her in particular?"

Yami sighed as he admitted the things he liked about Solara, unaware it was her in front of him. As he finished, she grinned as she said, "So you have a crush on her, is that it?"

"…yes…" he said finally.

"Thought so…She's said a few things she liked about you as well. We were talking about this last night, and she had a quite a few things about you she liked…"

"What? What kind of things?" asked Yami, surprised.

"Well for one, you're loyal, dependable, friendly, get along great with younger kids, have a sense of humor…" she listed a few of the qualities she thought were good about him.

"And did she happen to mention the things she didn't like?" he said as she finished.

"Well…there is the fact that you keep calling me Master all the time…"

"It's a habit…"

"And the fact you and Hikari always get into a fight whenever you see each other…"

"He rubs me the wrong way."

"Well…there is also the fact that you tend to kill soldiers and Magus more than you should."

"Only because they're loyal to that damn king!"

"And because you haven't realized the obvious…"

"What do you…? Oh crap… You're really Solara, aren't you?" he said in dismay.

"Took you long enough. It was your brother's idea."

"That little…!"

"Don't blame him. It's not his fault you have a hard time admitting you liked me. You certainly aren't shy about showing your love for him."

"I don't know what to say… Other than you lot better show yourselves! Don't think I can't sense you're out there, Lunara, Sato and Hikari!" said Yami annoyed.

"We only came to see who would win that bet," chuckled Lunara.

"They've been here as long as you realized your real feelings," Solara chuckled.

"What would happen if Hikari won the bet again?"

"Sato and Getsurin would have to help me get Dai to admit he likes Riku in front of her," answered Hikari.

"Too late…" snickered Sato.

"What the hell does _that _mean?!"

"Dai already did that this morning. Didn't you notice Riku and him holding hands earlier?" said Sato laughing evilly.

"You…! Why didn't you let me come too?!" griped Hikari, annoyed he didn't see his brother's reaction.

"Because I did it without Getsurin helping me."

"Aw man!"

"So nii-san, what're you gonna do about it?" asked Sato.

"You mean about the bet? What time is it?" asked Yami, determined to make Hikari's day even worse.

"Almost sunset," answered Lunara.

"In that case…" said Yami before he kissed Solara on the cheek.

"What! No way!" said Hikari in disbelief.

"Yup…looks like someone has to clean to Dragon's stables for a week…" chuckled Solara evilly.

-----

**I'll tell the others not to hold back…**

"Uh-oh…looks like you're gonna have your work cut out for ya Hikari! Getsurin is gonna tell them not to hold back for the next week…" chuckled Sato.

"Ah man! Today's not my day!" groaned Hikari.

They merely chuckled at his dismay…

When the other three left, Solara gently held Yami's arm, holding him back. As he turned towards her, she gently kissed him. His eyes widened in shock before he allowed himself to follow her lead. By the time the sun rose the next morning, they were sound asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

When Hikari got up the next morning, he groggily sat up, then fell back in dismay as he knew he'd have to hold up his end of the bet that day. He finally got up and had breakfast, then left to clean the stables for the first time of the day. (They had to be cleaned at least three days every day. Once for each mealtime.)

Dai and Riku sat next to each other, grinning. Sato had told them of the bet made with Hikari, and Riku's only response was to burst out in evil laughter. She never really liked Hikari that much, and only put up with him because he was Dai's older brother.

"Ohayo, Drake-san…" said Hikari tiredly.

"What're you doing here, Hikari?" asked Drake surprised.

"Didn't Sato tell you? Getsurin and I made a bet and I lost."

"What bet?"

"He bet Hikari that my brother would kiss Solara before the sun set yesterday. If Hikari won, we'd help him get Dai to admit he likes Riku with her nearby. If he lost, then he'd have to clean the stables for a full week," grinned Sato.

"Ah…then why don't you show him how to do that, Sato?" said Drake, also grinning. (He was delighted that he'd finally get a break!)

"Okay!" said Sato amused.

"So what do I do?"

"Here's the broom, the soapy water is in the next stall…" Sato started, showing Hikari exactly what to do. He made sure Hikari did a good job before he left the boy alone. He knew Drake would amuse himself by inspecting Hikari's work before he was allowed to leave.

* * *

As Sato left the stables, he noticed the aura of a demon following him. He made a few quick maneuvers and evaded the stalker. He hid behind a tree nearby to find out who had been following him only to find out it was Riku's tanuki twin, Risa! He waited until she left before running into Riku.

"Hey Riku! Why was your twin following me?" asked Sato, confused.

"What? Risa was following you? Sheesh…she can be so single-minded sometimes!" sighed Riku exasperated.

"What do you mean?"

"She was talking about you last night and must have thought she could get a few tips about getting a boyfriend from you," grumbled Riku.

"From me? Why?"

"You have been playing match-maker lately, you know," Riku pointed out.

"Yeah…but why would she want my help? Couldn't she just ask Lunara or Solara for advice?"

"Solara is busy with your brother and Lunara is too worried about the king sending soldiers to help. You're the only guy around who's honest about his feelings, so she must have thought you'd be the best person to ask," shrugged Riku.

"Oh…" said Sato.

"I better go. Dai said he was going to take me to someplace his brother wouldn't find us for lunch. See you later Sato!" said Riku.

"Bye! …Girls are soooo weird…" muttered Sato under his breath.

* * *

As the week passed like a blur, Sato began to notice something was amiss in the village. There were more and more people than before, and the numbers increased with each passing day. He went to the local tavern to see if he could find his brother, who mysteriously disappeared and found out the cause.

"_Never seen anything like it…"_

"_Lightning came out of nowhere and destroyed the entire crop! It was like nothing I've ever seen!"_

"_The king refuses to send help, even though we need the money and man-power to make it through the next season…"_

The discontent and hushed whispers filled the tavern. Sato went to the bartender and asked, "What's with everyone?"

"You don't know kid?!" grumbled a new patron.

"He rarely comes in. It's mostly his older brother who comes to hear the local gossip," said the bartender sympathetically.

"So what's going on?"

"It seems there's been a series of completely random, freak acts of nature all over the kingdom. The only places who haven't been hit are the villages closest to the two temples."

"What?"

"The worst part is that the castle refuses to send in _any _sort of help to the people who were hit…"

It was then that Sato remembered something Yami had mentioned about the people taking the king off the throne when during times of crisis, when the castle didn't act to help the subjects. That was when he got an idea.

"I guess that's what we get for having an illegitimate king who doesn't care what happens to his people…" said Sato aloud.

"What do you mean, illegitimate? He is our rightful king…isn't he?" said the bartender confused.

"Not from what I heard from the oracle sisters. They told me that the previous king remarried when he should've waited until the true heir was old enough to take over."

"Is that so? So what happened to the real ruler?"

"They don't know. Or at least, they didn't tell me what happened," shrugged Sato.

"What else do you know?" asked the other patrons. (Sato sensed that he shouldn't reveal everything.)

"Well, I do know that our neighboring countries will only trade with the two temples, and even then it's only with people from the Niri or Hikawa clans…"

"Is that the reason why your village is better off than ours? Because you've got a trade agreement that bypasses the king?" asked one of the farmers.

"I guess…"

"I always wondered why the towns closer to the temples were in better shape than the others…" the man muttered.


	12. The seeds of rebellion

**The seeds of rebellion**

Sato left quickly before they asked any more questions. He could hear them discuss taking the king off the throne and putting the true heir on it once they found them. He went directly to the temple and found Solara.

"There you are Sato!" said Solara.

"Solara, did you know about those freak acts of nature that have been happening around the kingdom?" asked Sato.

"Yes…several of the villagers asked for a prediction of whether or not it would happen here as well."

"Why didn't you tell the others?"

"I told Lunara and Yami. You've been talking to the newcomers at the tavern, haven't you…"

"Yeah…"

"What did you tell them?"

"I mentioned that the king wasn't the rightful ruler and that the other kingdoms would only trade with our clans…"

"You told them the truth about the last king? Let me guess…you left while they were discussing how to remove our so called 'king' and put the real heir on the throne…"

"Yup."

"That might have been a bad choice… But seeing as how the Black Wing's magic is running out because of a false king, you did the right thing."

"So what do I do now?"

"Now we wait for the word to spread about our king. Once the castle catches wind of a false monarch, they'll be forced to act. If they attempt to quash the rumor, then the subjects would view this as a conformation that it's true. If they admit he's not really the true king, they'll demand he be taken off the throne and the rightful ruler restored. Either way, the king gets dethroned for good."

"Who is the real heir, Solara?"

"We know where they are…but I won't tell you until the king's power is questioned," said Solara.

"Okay…"

"So Sato, I hear you went to the tavern by yourself and stirred something up…" said Hikari.

"Yup."

"Nice work. All we have to do is wait until the castle screws up again, and then its goodbye tyrant, hello Queen!" chuckled Yami.

"Queen?"

"The rightful heir is a woman. All we'd have to do is prove the right of birth, and then she'll be able to take over, setting things right!"

"So I did good?"

"Yup, my Chibi Kage, you did good," said Yami.

_

* * *

_

"This is terrible. The Wing's power is too great for us to control!" said the youngest member.

"Nonsense boy! There is NO power in the land too great for me to control!" growled the Arch Magus.

"But sir, the Wing's power is tied to nature itself, and you know how well our last attempt to control _that_ went," said the younger worriedly.

"That is where you're wrong, Daichi! All we need is a pawn to do the work for us," snorted the Arch Magus.

"But there isn't anyone who can control the weather! You know that!" said Daichi.

"There are people with the magical capabilities to control weather. We just need to capture one of them and bend them to our will," said the Arch Magus annoyed. (Arrogant, isn't he?)

"Who can control nature itself? It's madness!"

"The Niri and Hikawa. How else could they land those accursed beasts they ride to trade goods?"

"But the last time we went to capture them, we were attacked by two Ice Dragons and had to retreat, losing ten of our best Casters!" protested Daichi.

"That was a fluke and you know it. There's no way they could know that we sent a dozen Magus to kidnap one of the Niri or Hikawa!"

"Still…"

"This meeting is adjourned!"

* * *

Daichi, the youngest Magus on the council, went to a local pub worried. It had been nearly three weeks since the incident with the dragons, and he feared the Arch Magus would do something rash. As he sat down, he listened in to the local gossip. He always found it relaxing to catch up on the current events from the peasant's point of view. It was there that he overheard an interesting tidbit…

"_I hear that the only places safe from these freak nature events are the villages closest to the Oracle Sister's temples!"_

"_That's nothing. I was at the tavern near Lunara's temple, and someone from there mentioned that the king isn't even our king! He said that all these freak accidents could be due to a false king!"_

"_That would explain why the soldiers keep asking about those three clans. You know, the Niri, Tsubasa and Hikawa?"_

"_You don't suppose one of those might be the real heirs to the throne, do you?"_

This conversation sparked Daichi's interest. He often found that the peasant's were privy to information that was almost always true. He paid for his drink and packed, deciding to get to the bottom of the rumors.

* * *

Sato walked into the tavern, and was greeted by the regulars by name. He was now a familiar sight in the pub, and everyone assumed he was picking up where his brother left off when it came to rumors. A certain dragon walked by his side, and they greeted him as well. Sato's idea to get the commoners to actually accept the dragon's presence was going off without a hitch. (Mainly because Getsurin ensured everyone's ale and beer was freezing cold, just how they liked it!)

"So what'll it be boys? The usual?" asked the bartender, casually. (He had a hard time adjusting to the fact that Getsurin almost always followed Sato. He got over it when the dragon used his breath to cool the drinks that the patrons ordered.)

"Sure," said Sato, happily.

"All righty, two teas comin' right up!"

Sato's head turned when he sensed someone passing through the barrier…a Magus. Getsurin sensed this as well, but did his best not to show it. Five minutes later, a man in a worn cloak entered the tavern, asking for lodging and food. He sat next to Sato and Getsurin, almost completely oblivious to the dragon's existence.

"What'll it be Magus?" asked the owner gruffly, recognizing the newcomer for who he was.

"Ale, if that is alright," said the Magus.

"One ale," said the bartender, handing the man his drink. It was clear he wasn't used to the rich flavoring, let alone the freezing temperature of the drink. The bartender chuckled.

"How do you get the drinks so cold?" he asked, surprised. His answer came from behind and he found himself staring face-to-face with Getsurin, who was mildly annoyed.

"Wha…"

"Getsurin is the one who cools the drinks in exchange for being allowed to enter," said Sato who was becoming amused to the discomfort of the Magus.

"Is that your dragon's name?" he asked, becoming _very _aware of the sharpness of the fangs.

"He's not _my _dragon, nor anyone else's. He is my friend. What's your name, Magus?" asked Sato.

"I am Daichi…"

"Sheesh…why do Magus and everyone from the castle talk so weird?" grumbled Sato.

"It's a habit you pick up from all the uptight nobles," chuckled Daichi.

"Eh? I didn't think Magus were allowed to call the nobles uptight…" said Sato, mildly surprised.

"Who said that only those who lived outside the castle could mock the nobles?" replied Daichi.

"So what brought you all the way out here? And how on earth did you get in here anyway?" asked Sato.

"I overheard some of the patrons in the local pub talk about how only the towns closest to the two temples were the only places that were safe and I had to find out for myself."

"So you're not on business from the 'king' or the Arch Magus?" said the bartender.

"When that old goat finds out where I've gone, he'll never let me hear the end of it. And as for the king, well… I never did like following his orders anyway!"

"In that case, you're more than welcome to stay the night," said the owner, relieved.

"So why is one of the infamous dragons out of the stables? I thought Lunara and Solara kept them locked up when they aren't flying them?" said Daichi, confused.

"Getsurin is different… It's thanks to him that the dragons get to choose what they eat, instead of some boring diet. And they aren't always locked up; we let them out to stretch their wings almost everyday. What I'd like to know is why you Magus always try to shoot us down whenever you see us in the sky!" said Sato.

"I'm not one of those idiots. I happen to find dragons and their kin fascinating. My fellow Magi don't share my interest; they just find dragons a nuisance."

"Sato, shouldn't you and Getsurin get going? I'm sure Lunara and your brother will be getting worried by now," the owner reminded him.

"It's that late already? Thanks for letting me know. And as for nii-san…he's too busy with Solara these days to care about me staying out late."

"We'll see you and your friend tomorrow, right?"

"You bet!" said Sato, grinning. He and Getsurin left the tavern and headed straight to the temple for supper.

* * *

"So since when do taverns let dragons in?"

"Since little Sato started coming in. He said Getsurin wouldn't stir up trouble…quite the opposite in fact. That dragon of his has broken up twelve bar fights since they started coming in together!" chuckled the bartender. Daichi remained at the bar, listening to the gossip, and he realized that he had found the origin of the rumor concerning the king.

"So this is where that rumor started…"

"Eh?"

"Nothing… So who was it that said the king isn't really the king?" asked Daichi.

"Why Sato of course. He said that the fact that our king is a fake might be the cause of all those freak accidents lately," said the bartender.

"Does Sato have a last name?"

"He's Yami's younger brother. So I imagine he's a Hikawa," shrugged the owner.

It was then that Daichi noticed one of his crystals was going off. He sighed, as it meant either the Arch Magus or the king was looking for him. He secretly patted himself on the back for placing a glamour before entering the town.

"Looks like your masters are calling. Are you going to answer them?" asked the bartender.

"Not if I can help it. The king made us carry these so he could call on us at a whim. But I deliberately began loosing them just so the others would know I can't handle keeping track of these stupid things…"

"So you started loosing your collar on purpose, eh? Well, you won't have to worry about the other lapdogs coming for you while you stay here. Lunara's barrier keeps anyone under the orders from both the king and your Arch Magus from entering."

"I always wondered why the king's men complained they couldn't follow their orders to seize the goods brought back," chuckled Daichi.

* * *

As the days passed, Daichi quickly realized that there was more to the Oracle than meets the eye. He went to the temple, seeking answers about the Black Wings. What he got was more than he could handle.

"You wouldn't happen to have any documents on the Mirror called the Black Wings, would you?" asked Daichi.

"Why would you want information on the mirror?!" growled Yami.

"I just want to see if there's more on its history. All the records that mention it in the castle say the same thing over and over…"

"Naturally! Lunara and Solara made sure to take all the valuable information about the Black Wings so you Magus wouldn't tamper with it!" snorted Yami.

"What would happen if the Magi did tamper with the mirror?" asked Daichi concerned.

"Nature itself would rebel until balance has been restored," said Sato from behind.

"Hello Sato," said Daichi calmly.

"Chibi Kage, do you know this man?"

"Yup…he was at the tavern. He said he wasn't on orders from either Arch Magus or false king and that he actually _liked _dragons."

"Alright…you can look through the records. But you better not take them outside the barrier!" growled Yami darkly.

"That's reasonable enough," replied Daichi quickly.

"Sato can take you to the library."


	13. Shifting the balance of power

**Shifting the balance of power**

As Daichi looked through the records, he realized his original assumption that the Black Wings was tied to nature itself was very true. He also realized that the rumor about the king being false was more than just a rumor, it was a stated fact. He knew if he even told the Arch Magus, he would be committing suicide! He had to stop the Arch Magus at all costs, but how?

"Any luck, Daichi?" asked Sato.

"You could say that. Sato, if you knew something bad was going on and you could stop it, what would you do?" he asked.

"I would tell Lunara and nii-san. They've always helped me before."

"And what if you couldn't tell anyone? Would you still tell them?"

"Yup…I can always trust them. Why do you ask?"

"Because the council of Magus are doing something that they shouldn't, and I don't think I can stand by and not at least try to stop them!"

"What's going on?"

"I need to talk to Lunara. Do you think you can help me?"

"Sure. Where do you want to meet her?"

"Someplace where we can talk without the villagers overhearing us. I don't mind if you and your brother come as well."

"Okay! I know just the place!" said Sato. He took Daichi to the lake and then got his brother and Lunara.

* * *

"What's this about Magus?" asked Lunara darkly.

"I wasn't sure before, but now I know my suspicions were correct. The reason why there have been so many strange occurrences in nature is because of the council of Magus."

"What?" said Yami, becoming angry.

"I told the Arch Magus it wasn't a good idea to continue messing with the Black Wings, and it seems I was right. The king ordered the council to find a way to control the power of the Black Wings. I think he's afraid the people will revolt thanks to the rumor."

"What?! The king is trying to control the mirror?! Doesn't he know what will happen if the mirror is destroyed?!" said Lunara in horror.

"He doesn't care. I told him that it was a bad idea considering what happened the last time someone tried to control the weather, but he won't listen!"

"Why are you telling us this? Aren't you part of the council?"

"I am…but I'm the only one who isn't from noble birth. I'm from a family of scribes!" said Daichi.

"What're we supposed to do about it? Even if we do convince them, there's no way to restore balance without…" started Sato.

"I know…but I thought…maybe because you have dragons you could storm the keep and stop them…"

"We could, but even _with _dragons we'd have a hard time. Anyway, we'd need an army to pull it off. Where are we going to get an army to fight the Magi?"

"Why not ask the villagers? Tell them the Magi's plans. I'm sure they'd be angry enough to join you."

"We'd have a hell of a time convincing them."

"Well…"

"What is it? Is there something else you haven't told us?"

"The Arch Magus…when I mentioned how it was impossible for us to control nature, he scoffed and said that there were people who could. Someone from the Niri or Hikawa clans. He said we should kidnap someone from those clans and bend them to our will."

"He _what?!"_

"This is more serious than I thought…if he were to get ahold of either Sato _or _Dai…" said Lunara in shock.

"I mostly came here to validate the rumors, but now…"

"You can stay. If your idiot Arch Magus asks why you're not there, tell him the truth. Tell him you came to get some vital information about the Black Wings that you can use," said Sato.

"I already did. If I don't return in two months, he'll personally come to get me."

"He won't get through the barrier," chuckled Yami.

"What about the king? Should we continue to wait until the villagers cry out for the king to step down or what?" asked Sato.

"No…we're past that point now. They've already begun demanding that he leave the throne. What we need now are some volunteers willing to fight," said Lunara.

"I can help with that. If I leak some more info about the accidents and deaths, I'm sure the tavern would be willing to spread the word," said Sato.

"Do it. In the meantime, we need to find ways to save the mirror," said Lunara.

* * *

"Hey Sato, why the long face?" asked the bartender.

"We found out what was causing all those freak accidents…" said Sato.

"Eh? What was it?"

"The king has ordered the Magi to find a way to use the Black Wings as a weapon. That's what's been causing the incidents with nature," said Sato.

"Why would the king order the Magus to tamper with nature?" asked the bartender.

"Because he knows that once the people realize he's not really a king, they'll want to take him off for good. He's so corrupt with power that he's willing to take the kingdom down with him!"

"That's suicide! Why would he take us down with him? And how do we know you're not making all of this up?!" said one of the regulars.

"Why would I make this up? I think we should dethrone this madman and put either Lunara or Solara on the throne. I'm sure they could find the true heir and restore the peace!"

"You're right! Lady Lunara would be a better ruler than that lazy bastard we have now!" yelled a man from the back.

"What can we do about it though? If we take up arms, then if we failed we'd be charged with treason!" said the owner, shaking his head.

"Not quite," said Yami as he entered the tavern.

"Long time, no see, Yami!" said the bartender.

"Indeed. If you and the other villages take up arms, we would succeed without a doubt," replied Yami.

"Why's that?"

"Because we'll have aerial support, they won't."

"You mean…?"

"The dragons want that man off as much as we do. And Lunara is more than just an oracle…she's also one of the remaining Tsubasa clan. She and her sister have been disguising their true heritage for far too long," said Yami.

"What does their heritage have to do with…?" demanded a drunk.

"There were three clans that founded this kingdom; one of them is the rightful rulers to the throne. They were the Hikawa, the Niri and the Tsubasa. The Tsubasa have been ruling our lands for centuries until our last king remarried and his second wife's son took the throne," said Yami.

"That would mean that Lady Lunara is really…!" said the bartender in surprise.

"Yes…Princess Lunara. And as the eldest, Lady Solara would be the first chosen to become Queen. Should we restore the two heirs to the throne, or should we let this tyranny continue?!" said Yami loudly.

This inspired the tavern to erupt in shouts of agreement. As the word spread, they soon had an army that consisted of almost every village around ten miles near the temples. They gathered their forces and headed straight towards the castle, determined to take down the corrupt king.

* * *

"Sire, we have a problem."

"What sort of problem?"

"It seems that the oracle sisters are leading a revolt. They want to restore the true heirs to the throne at all costs."

"WHAT! Gather the troops! Have those meddlesome sisters captured and hanged!" barked the king in rage.

"But sire…!"

"DO IT NOW!!!!!"

"Arch Magus, I want that mirror under my control at once! I don't care what you have to do, just do it!" yelled the king.

"Yes sire!" said the Arch Magus delighted. As they went to the Black Wings, they were determined to either force the mirror to obey them, or destroy it trying.

* * *

"Yami, do you…?" said Sato concerned.

"Feel that? Yes."

"What is it? It feels…wrong…"

"I have a bad feeling about this, my Chibi Kage. We must hurry!" said Yami worriedly.

"Yami, what is wrong?" asked Risa.

"Something is very wrong. I think that the king has finally decided to go too far."

"What's that mean?"

"It means we better hurry to the keep, or there might be nothing left to salvage," said Yami.

"In that case, get the dragons ready to carry as many of the troops as they can!" said Solara. (They had about 50-75 dragons that were big enough to carry several humans at one time.)

"I don't think that we have enough to carry troops to the keep and still be of use in battle…" said Lunara.

"I assume you felt that as well?" said Hikari.

"Yes…we need to get there fast, but there are very few dragons that can carry humans and still have enough energy to battle," said Lunara.

"So? What's the problem?"

"You don't get it, do you? Dragons aren't to be used and thrown away like trash. They are sentient beings like us!" said Sato angrily.

"I've never seen a dragon show any intelligence," snorted Hikari.

"Then you've never really opened your eyes. You take them for granted!" said Sato.

"I guess… I never did understand why they kept them to begin with!" said Hikari, becoming irritable.

"Well, maybe its time you did," said Sato, his wings beginning to come out.

"Calm down Sato!" said Yami quickly.

"It's alright Yami! It's not like he can actually hurt me. Our Rutile make it impossible to attack someone from another clan, remember?" chuckled Hikari smugly.

"_That's assuming I use my clan's magic against you…"_ snarled Sato.

"Wha…?" said Hikari in surprise.

-----

Sato's wings grew and grew; as the wings grew, they quickly began to shift from feathery to leathery. His teeth elongated into fangs, his body enlarged into an animal-like form. His hands lengthened and sharpened into deathly claws, he grew a long tail and horns that said he meant business. The thing Yami noticed the most however, were the eyes…they were cat-like and looked as if they could see even in pitch-black darkness.

**"Still think dragons aren't intelligent?" **said Satoshi annoyed.

"Wait a minute! How do we know this isn't an illusion? Dragons can't talk!" said Hikari.

**"Who said I completely turned myself into a dragon, baka? I kept my vocal cords so I could talk!"**

"So you can turn into a dragon Sato. Big whoop," shrugged Hikari.

**"In this form, my name isn't Sato. It's Satoshi!"** growled Satoshi.

"Sato, Satoshi, whatever…"

**"If I hear you talk about dragons bad again, I'll be eating your head off!"**

"Sure… So are you gonna turn back or not?"

**"Someone has to explain what we need them to do. Besides, I can help carry the weapons for you,"** said Satoshi.

"That's it! Satoshi can carry the weapons while the rest carry the forces!" said Solara.

**"Want me to tell them? Me and Getsurin will carry them weapons while the others carry everyone."**

"Sounds good. Tell everyone to get on a dragon…Satoshi, you tell us when that dragon reached its limit!"

**"Yes ma'am."**

* * *

Soon everyone was on a dragon's back; Getsurin and Satoshi carried the weapons and led them to the keep. As they reached the castle, Satoshi and Getsurin returned the weapons right before they landed, and they were met head-to-head with the castle troops in battle. The onslaught of carnage waged for hours; Satoshi and Getsurin were leading the dragons while Yami and Hikari led the humans. Solara, Lunara and the twins went directly into the castle.

When they arrived in the throne room, the king was guarded by nearly a dozen heavily armed men.

"Well, well, well…So you thought you could take my kingdom by force, eh Oracles?" chuckled the king darkly.

"Your kingdom my ass! This is our kingdom by birth and you know it! You are nothing more than our step-brother!" retorted Lunara.

"Sire, is what she saying true?" asked his advisor.

"It's nonsense!"

"Oh? Tell me counselor, do you remember our last king's first wife?" said Solara.

"Indeed I do…"

"Do you recall anything unusual about her?"

"Other than the fact she had gray wings and an uncanny knack for magic, no."

"Good…then explain to me how it is that we possess the wings of the royal clan and he doesn't?" said Solara as she released her wings; Lunara followed suit right after.

"I don't believe it! Princess Lara and Nara?!"  
"Lara and Nara?" said Riku, raising an eyebrow.

"Our original birth names. I haven't heard those since mother hid us in those temples."

"Sire, are these women the true heirs?" asked one of his men.

"Nonsense! I am the only heir!" said the king nervously.

"I'm afraid sir, that you have lost the right to the throne. They are the true rulers of our land, not you," said the advisor coldly.

"He's an imposter?!"

"Arrest that man!" yelled Nara.

* * *

The false king fought with everything he had, but he was overwhelmed. As Lara approached the throne, an earth-shattering quake erupted from beneath them. The mirror was beginning to collapse. Yami and Hikari sensed its beginning demise and immediately flew to the tower where it rested. There was only one way to save the Black Wings and the kingdom…a live sacrifice from two of the three clans had to be made. The two eldest of the Hikawa and Niri clans gave their very souls to the mirror, saving everything they held dear. The battle for the kingdom ended as they sacrificed themselves. 


	14. Aftermath

**Aftermath…**

"Where's nii-san?!" said Sato and Dai in unison.

"Sato, Dai…they're gone…" said Lara gently.

"Where are they?!" said Sato, not believing her.

"That earthquake was a sign that the Black Wings was about to die. Yami and Hikari gave their lives to save us."

"Why?! Why did they have to leave us!" said Sato, crying.

"…"

* * *

Sato and Dai were crying for weeks since the kingdom was restored. While Dai recovered from his grief thanks to Riku, Sato had no one except Getsurin who wasn't much help at all. He spent most of his days as a dragon, learning as much as he could from the Ice drake, to find a way to end his pain. He was gloomy and miserable; none of them could find a way to heal his heart. 

_**Satoshi, you have to get over his death already! It's been nearly three months and you still haven't gotten over your brother?!**_

**Getsurin-sensei…I don't know why I can't get over him. Maybe if this had happened after I had actually gotten to know him…**

_**Dragons can live for over a millennia…we have to get used to losing the ones we care about. We outlive normal mortals, so we should learn to accept the loss and GET OVER IT!**_

**You're harsh…**

_**I have to be, I'm your mentor.**_

**…**

* * *

Even though Yami and Hikari sacrificed themselves, they left a part of themselves behind; in the form of children…though Satoshi didn't really care. He only wanted his older brother back. He would often play word games with Getsurin, and mostly ignored the other's attempts to get him to open up. Satoshi was nearing his limit…soon he would cease to remember he was ever human. That was when he found a way to end his pain…if he put himself under a sleep spell, he could lose himself in his memories until his brother returned. 

Right before he cast the sleep spell, Lara entered the room.

"Satoshi, I know you miss Yami."

**"How would you know how I feel?! You at least still have a sister!"** roared Satoshi in pain.

"Satoshi…before you decide to go under a sleeping spell, I want you to consider this. Who will teach your niece Rin how to fly and cast spells?"

**"You will. She may be my niece, but she can't replace Yami. I barely even got to know my brother before I lost him!" **cried Satoshi.

"Satoshi…"

**"Just leave me alone so I can sleep! I'll never wake up until Yami is back!"**

"…"

Satoshi cast the spell and leapt into the mirror. A bright light came from the Black Wings and then it died down; Lara could plainly see him inside the piece, suspended in time.

* * *

A few months later, Riku fell ill and died; Dai was by her side the entire time, praying she would pull through. Right before she died, she gave Dai all of her demonic blood, turning him into a half-kitsune, half tanuki…she died as a human. Dai was distraught with grief and sorrow…he followed Satoshi into the Black Wings and fell into a deep sleep which would not come off until their brothers were freed. 

The two sisters, Lara and Nara, both had children, each from the other two clans. (Hikari and Lunara had a brief tryst before they went to the keep.) The children were named Rin Hikari and Kari Niwa. They had started anew by taking the last two letters of the Hikawa and Niri clans and flipping them.

Kari and Rin both lived and started two entirely new clans, the Hikari and Niwa. Lara and Nara gave the kingdom to their people, ending the monarchy for good. They lived out their lives and died.

**100 years later…**

The Hikari clan was performing a ceremony which would give their masterpiece, the_ Black Wings_, a soul. They couldn't remember who the original creator of the mirror was, but they all assumed his goal was to give life to the mirror. Right before the ceremony could begin however, they were interrupted by their rival, the Niwa clan. Two souls came out of the mirror…they were called _Krad and Dark_. Two other souls stirred, but didn't come out. Though the first two were finally out of the mirror after they sacrificed themselves, the other two could not come out until their present day counterparts used magic at the EXACT same time! And so they slept…unaware of the passage of time for centuries…

_THE END…for now._

_

* * *

Author_—so how did ya'll like the fic? I would like to thank Sayoko's-fire for helping me with the beta reading! I also have some good news for those who enjoyed this fanfic! 

_Akidoshi_—aw hell…you're not starting ANOTHER one are you?!

_Author_—hello again to you too Akidoshi. (Note sarcasm.)

_Akidoshi_—don't you have ENOUGH fanfics that aren't completed yet?

_Author_—you can never have enough. Chill!

_Akidoshi_—You chill! You do too many fanfics as it is!

_Author_—this coming from someone who's obsessed with Digimon?

_Akidoshi_—you're obsessed with D.N.Angel…

_Author_—so what's your point?

_Akidoshi_—you need a new hobby bad!

_Author_—look who's talking!

_Akidoshi_—Grr…

_Author_—well, I'm not complaining about your love for Digimon. Anything is better than that idiotic Maple Story!

_Akidoshi_—you said it. I don't even remember why I joined that lame MMORPG to begin with.

_Author_—strange how we've been best buds since middle school, isn't it?

_Akidoshi_—define strange when it comes to us!

_Author_—touché

_Akidoshi_—gotta go. My show's on in thirty minutes.

-----

_Author_—well, now that my best bud's gone, I guess I should tell the fans of my fanfic the good news!

_Sayoko's_-_fire_—sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything?

_Author_—other than Akidoshi and me doing our usual bickering, no.

_Sayoko's-fire_—good! So what's the good news?

_Author_—there's gonna be a sequel to "Of Darkness and Light"

_Sayoko's-fire_—what about the sequel to "Master of Angels"?

_Author_—about that… The idea of a sequel to this fic has piqued my interest more, so there probably won't be a second one. Though I could just add Anne to the next "Of Darkness and Light".

_Sayoko's-fire_—what's the new title gonna be?

_Author_—I was thinking of NOT calling it, "Of Darkness and Light2: awakening".

_Sayoko's-fire_—so what're you going to call it?

_Author_—I'm calling it "Between the Light and the Darkness".

_Sayoko's-fire_—wait, isn't that the name of episode four from the series?

_Author_—where did you think I got it from? You know how much I LOVE Krad! Besides, that's when they first introduced him in the anime!

_Sayoko's-fire_—do I still get to be the beta reader for the new one?

_Author_—hey, you let me be a beta for your new fic, Tainted Wings, so I don't see why not.

_Sayoko's-fire_—yay!

_Author_—so I hope everyone doesn't kill me for making this fic short.

_Sayoko's-fire_—I better get back to my own fics for now, so I'll be back on later.

_Author_—okay! Talk to you later, Sayoko's-fire!

-----

_Author_—well, if that's everyone…

???—what about me?

_Author_—who are you? Would you like to add a few things to the final chapter?

???—if that's okay with you…

_Author_—the reason there's even any commentary in the fic is to fill up the space. I'd rather NOT go back to my previous style of short-mini-chapters!

???—so basically this is just a filler-chapter

_Author_—well, not exactly. Anyway, you still haven't given me your name!

???—do I have to?

_Author_—it would help! Besides, it's not like I'm going to stalk you or something. I mostly just annoy people for fun

???—…

_Author_—name please.

???—it's…Goldenbutterfly.

_Author_—well Goldenbutterfly, any comments you'd like to add?

_Goldenbutterfly_-- This story had mostly been funny. I'm glad Hiwatari got what he deserved. The way Satoshi changed when after he got back his Rutile was some what good to me. That dragon was really good, too. I don't know, really, the whole story was great! Everything was good, no faulty at all.

_Author_—glad you loved it! It's people like you that keep me typing!

_Goldenbutterfly_—can you do me a HUGE favor?

_Author_—what?

_Goldenbutterfly_—please quit trying to kill me with laughter!

_Author_—where's the fun in that?

_Goldenbutterfly_—EVIL!

_Author_—I'm evil and proud of it!

**

* * *

**

**Author—well, that about wraps this chapter up. If you think you're the only person who loves anime and is proud of being weird, feel free to IM or e-mail me! Until the next fic:P**


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